Hendon Hooker signs NIL deal with French’s year after Tennessee fan threw mustard bottle on field

Hendon Hooker signs NIL deal with French’s year after Tennessee fan threw mustard bottle on field

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker is now repping French’s mustard.

That’s right.

The yellow bottle that was thrown into the college football spotlight when a Tennessee fan hurled a bottle at Lane Kiffin from the stands of Neyland Stadium when the Ole Miss Rebels came calling last season and took home a 31-26 road win.

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Hooker, a Heisman Trophy hopeful, is the college athlete to be sponsored by a mustard brand.

This partnership celebrates French’s, while nodding to the playful relationship between America’s favorite mustard brand and Tennessee Volunteers fans.

To celebrate, French’s commissioned a pair of mustard-inspired sneakers. The one-of-a-kind shoes feature the vibrant yellow, blue and red of French’s Classic Yellow® Mustard bottles, as well as a mustard drip design that’ll keep Hooker in style on and off the field.

The idea, of course, for a collaboration came after a wild game in 2021 when a bottle of French’s Classic Yellow Mustard took the field for the first time after an unpopular call. The moment solidified the condiment in the hearts and minds of Tennessee fans. French’s continues to be a part of the gameday lore in Knoxville, with fans asking players and coaches to leave autographs on mustard bottles, creating French’s-shaped signs to show support, and even dressing in French’s costumes to attend games.

“I’ve been a huge fan of French’s my whole life, so it’s a dream to work with such an iconic brand,” Hooker said. “I love that French’s has become part of our games, and this will be a fun opportunity to keep building that relationship with the community – not to mention raising my sneaker game.”

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.