ALLEN PARK — Hendon Hooker’s mom Wendy is not a football coach, but has a little something to say about the way her son plays.
The Detroit Lions backup quarterback was back at practice on Wednesday after he sustained a concussion in the 14-3 preseason loss at the Giants on Thursday.
Hooker needs work on his sliding technique which might have saved him from a concussion on Thursday.
“My mom is a huge fan of sliding. So I always get it from her, but now the coaches are on me as well,’’ Hooker said on Wednesday. ‘“We’ve got to slide.’ That’s her thing, she’s been saying that for years. I’m learning.’’
He said he was not trying to run the guy over. “I just braced for impact and he kind of bounced off me,’’ said Hooker, a third-round pick by the Lions in 2023.
That was his first game of any sort in over a year after spending last season recovering from ACL surgery.
Practicing is good, but playing is everything.
“It helps a lot because the game is different than practice,’’ Hooker said. “You’re in command, coaches are on the field with you. You’re orchestrating the whole offense, your speed, your tempo and your rhythm.’’
He completed 5 of 9 passes against the Giants and carried four times for 34 yards.
“I thought I did a good job of decision making and controlling the offense, having a good tempo, getting up to the line, operating at a high level,’’ Hookier said.
Coach Dan Campbell said there’s a “good chance” Hooker could play in Detroit’s next preseason game on Saturday in Kansas City.
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