:no_upscale()/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/dmn/LIR7P4ZQINBL5KYXZ42JG3Q52I.jpg)
Cowboys’ safety Malik Hooker recently joined The Norm and D Invasion with Norm Hitzges and Donovan Lewis on Sportsradio 96.7 FM/1310 AM The Ticket [KTCK-AM] to discuss early career injuries, getting a chance in Dallas and more.
Here are some highlights, edited for length and clarity:
You couldn’t work out at the 2017 scouting combine because of hip and groin problems, then your first year in Indianapolis, you tear an ACL and MCL. Year 2, a foot injury causes you to miss a playoff game against Kansas City, then Year 4 you tear your Achilles. How are you feeling now?
Malik Hooker: “I’m feeling good, this is the best I’ve felt in a while. Physically, mentally, emotionally. It was all tragic, severe injuries and stuff like that. For me to be where I’m at today, I have nothing to complain about.”
Did first-round draft pick status weigh on you or is that something you were geared up for?
Hooker: “That’s a great expectation and when you come from being a first-round draft pick, [there’s] a lot of expectations. At first, my first year or two, I was a little heavy on it and everything like that. The older I got, in football you want to give something back after playing for so long. It was like, ‘So, now what?’”
In high school, you played both sides of the ball and basketball. When you decided which side of the ball you were going to play on, did you miss playing wide receiver? Is that something that you expected or thought that you could do at the next level?
Hooker: “At first, when you’re in high school, you’re like, ‘I want to be a wide receiver when I get to college and stuff like that.’ I started going on spring ball, seeing the spring game in college and I’m like, ‘Man, these guys are really getting hit.’
“It came to the point, do I want to give a hit or do I want to take a hit? Being 6′2 as a safety, 200-whatever pounds, that’s considered big. I was like, ‘I’d rather get the hit.’”
Indianapolis decides to not offer you a fifth year on your contract after your injuries. How thankful are you that last year about this time the Cowboys decided to give you an opportunity?
Hooker: “After I pretty much came up at my fifth-year option with Indy, we both decided it was time for a split agreement. They wished me the best of luck and as soon as I pretty much hit the free agency market, I wanna say a couple weeks after, I was already getting a couple calls. Out of all the calls I was getting, I feel like Dallas was showing the most interest because they brought me back.
“I wanna say the first visit was with [Jayron Kearse] and Damontae Kazee, then they brought me back a couple weeks later after I had rehabbed a little longer. I kind of knew that I was probably going to end up in Dallas, but it’s like you never know how that part of the game goes.”
What made Dallas the best fit for you?
Hooker: “When we had conversations, coming on visits, I felt like this was like home for me. I knew a couple of the guys on the roster from college and competing against them, so I knew the type of roster that they had. Based on where I just came from, it was kind of the same fit. There’s a bunch of dawgs here, there’s guys that I know are professionals and are willing to do whatever they can for the better of the team.”
On starting last year as a second-teamer...
Hooker: “I was just grateful for it because at this point in my career, when I’m healthy I know what I can do and what I bring to the table. Just for me to finally get a chance with a healthy season and healthy offseason under my belt last year, to go and prove that, I feel like I made a big step especially coming into this season being fully healthy and having no minor setbacks.
“I feel like I proved what I’m capable of doing for this defense, what I bring for this defense. Now it’s just about embracing your role or whatever the case may be, keeping this thing rolling.”
On winning a national title at Ohio State...
Hooker: “It was special, especially with the team that won it that year. If you remember that year, I think we lost like three or four games, I wanna say. When you lose that many in college football, you’re pretty much not making the Playoff. We went on a nice run and I just know a lot of the guys from that year, it was Joey Bosa, [Ezekiel Elliott], Michael Thomas, Eli Apple. It was a lot of guys that play a lot of ball for teams in the NFL that were on that team.
“You wouldn’t have thought that we lost those four games that we did, for those guys to rally up after those four games and win however many we won then the national championship, you don’t see that often. Especially in the first year.”
Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
"fit" - Google News
August 10, 2022 at 08:03PM
https://ift.tt/eKnCDP8
Malik Hooker on what made Cowboys a good fit after time with Colts - The Dallas Morning News
"fit" - Google News
https://ift.tt/U6xYsyQ
https://ift.tt/eh2D1CV
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Malik Hooker on what made Cowboys a good fit after time with Colts - The Dallas Morning News"
Post a Comment