When Cowboys safety Malik Hooker moved to Dallas in 2021, he admitted there was some uncertainty about his future.
"It was actually really stressful because you gotta pack up everything you have in whatever state you're in," said Hooker. "Just the thought of having to readapt to a whole new team, a whole new coaching staff, a new community and stuff like that for myself, it was going to be extremely difficult."
Hooker had initially been drafted to the Indianapolis Colts in 2017 as the 15th overall pick with high hopes after a standout college career at The Ohio State University. Naturally, Hooker arrived in Indianapolis with plans of making the Circle City his forever home.
"I mean it's definitely the first thought you think of, because you have so many expectations, and you know the expectations that are supposed to be of you," said Hooker.
The injury bug, however, had other plans. A torn hip labrum, a bilateral sports hernia, a torn ACL/MCL, a torn meniscus, and the dreaded Achilles tear, basically ended his time in Indiana.
He could've given up. Many players do. But not Malik Hooker. With a new team and a fresh start, he was determined to make the most of his time with the Cowboys.
"I just think it was hunger," he said. "I knew what I was capable of, and the talents and gifts I was blessed with, and I wanted to show everybody else that. Every time [an injury] happened it was like 'Alright now they really don't believe that I'm gonna come back from this injury, so now I have to fight back twice as hard to get back from that'… I just kept my head down and believed in my faith and knew what I wanted to accomplish."
Fast-forward to 2022, as Hooker has been an integral part of the Cowboys secondary, contributing 29 solo tackles (41 combined). He had a game-sealing interception against the Los Angeles Rams in week five.
And now, Hooker is preparing to face the very team where all that adversity took place; the Cowboys will host the Colts for Sunday Night football this week, in a game that was described by Hooker as bittersweet.
"Obviously, I'm gonna come across a lot of the guys that I played with and a lot of the coaches that I was there with, but you know I'm looking forward to it," said Hooker. "It's a crucial part of the season right now. A lot of people don't know that December is when a lot of the best ball gets played so I'm looking forward to taking our best foot forward the second half of the season."
And when he takes the field on Sunday evening, Hooker won't be thinking about that torn Achilles, or the friends he made while in Indianapolis. Instead, he'll be focused on how much he's grown as a player, as a person and as a competitor.
"That list of injuries, a lot of the guys, they don't come back from that," said Hooker. "I look at it as I don't have anything else can be harmed in that way. I've done all my bad karma, or whatever you want to call it – my bad juju. I got it all out so now I just go out there with a clean mind and a clean heart."
