INDIANAPOLIS — Malik Hooker could be miffed, but if so, the Indianapolis Colts safety isn’t saying so.
The fourth-year pro actually said Wednesday that he wasn’t disappointed when the Colts declined his 2021 contract option in the offseason. By his own admission, there were stretches where he didn’t make plays last season.
He’s set his mind to be more of a playmaker in 2020 and prove he’s worthy of a new contract with the team that drafted him in the first round in 2017.
“I mean, I really wouldn’t say disappointment,” Hooker said on a Zoom video call after practice. “It was more so like a motivation call for me. I just have to go out there and prove myself type of thing. That’s how I feel like it is. It’s more so me just having to show the consistency that I’ve had for the majority of last year and just show it more often. I feel like that’s all it is.”
Hooker had a career-high 49 total tackles in 13 games in 2019. He’s had issues with staying healthy — missing 14 starts in three years — but he has seven interceptions and 11 pass breakups.
It’s easy to forget he’s still a young player, having turned 24 in April, and Hooker could progress into more of the ballhawk expected when he was drafted. He says he needs to create more turnovers, be it interceptions or forcing fumbles. He says it’s about being consistent.
One advantage to 2020 is that he’s healthy. Hooker says it’s the first healthy offseason he’s had since arriving in the NFL. And that’s translated to a solid start in training camp.
“(Tuesday), I showed a play to the team that Malik made – a really, really good PBU (pass breakup) he had yesterday out on the practice field that when I was in the quarterback room, both Jacoby (Brissett) and Philip (Rivers) were like, ‘Wow, that was a big-time PBU right there,’” Colts head coach Frank Reich said. “So Malik has really, really looked good. Physically he looks good, making plays in practice. I feel great about where he is at right now.”
Perhaps the most memorable play of Hooker’s career was his one-handed interception against Rivers in the 2019 opener at the L.A. Chargers. Now Rivers is his teammate. The team was shown a highlight reel of 2019 plays that included Hooker’s interception.
“Yeah, we definitely talked about it a little bit,” Hooker said with a smile. “The first day we came in, we had a team meeting and they showed it on a highlight tape. He was like, ‘I see they are still showing the highlight you had from me (in) Week 1.’ We just laughed about it.”
Rivers also smiled about the highlight video reminder during a Zoom video call after Wednesday’s padded practice.
“It was an awesome play and I remember it very clearly,” Rivers said. “I didn’t need to see it again, but what an awesome play. I thought it was a touchdown. It ended up being a heck of a play that really was at a turning point in the game.”
After the interception, the Colts drove to a tying touchdown to force overtime, when the Chargers prevailed.
“We know it is part of what Malik does,” Reich said. “I mean he is great in center field there and very instinctive. That particular play that he made against Philip (Rivers) last year was a great play and indicative of the kind of talent and ball-hawking skills that he has. Philip has great respect for Malik. He’s kind of seen him, gone up against him, and now getting to go against him in practice.”
As much as he would like to make more plays like that, Hooker reiterates the importance of just being a steadier safety without breakdowns.
“I’d say the most thing that I have to build off right now is just being consistent,” he said. “I went probably seven or eight weeks last year having great games and then a few games where it was just OK games. It’s just be more consistent there. Also obviously, just creating more turnovers. Find a way to make turnovers. They don’t necessarily have to be interceptions, but trying to get more forced fumbles. Just trying to be that vet out there that can lead vocally – getting everybody lined up faster, seeing stuff faster and communicating it to the front guys that can’t see it from a bird’s-eye view like I can.”
Hooker’s ideal scenario is to play well, get well-paid, and stay put.
“Yeah, that’s definitely the plan,” he said. “Obviously, I love Indianapolis. It’s like a home for me now. At this point, I’ve been here for four years going now. The city is great. Obviously, the organization is great, things like that. So yeah, that’s definitely the plan for me.”
(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)
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