Malik Hooker ‘Going To Be The Player The Colts Brought Me Here To Be’

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Any hesitancy on Hooker’s part certainly never made its way to the opposing sidelines, however. Teams simply weren’t willing to throw Hooker’s way throughout the 2018 season, and when they did, No. 29 was there to make a play. According to Pro Football Focus, opponents attempted nine passes with Hooker in coverage, and just four of them were caught — only one of which resulted in a touchdown. That percentage of opposing targets caught (44.4) ranked second among all NFL safeties.


In 14 games, Hooker tallied 44 tackles, four passes defensed and one fumble recovery. He also grabbed two interceptions, the second of which sealed the Colts’ hard-fought Week 16 victory over the New York Giants.


“It definitely is a big thing just knowing that you are going to go out there and be able to perform how they want you to perform and not have to worry about, ‘Well, what if this happens? What if I get this certain injury or anything like that?’” Hooker said. “That definitely plays a major factor in it.”


Hooker dealt with a couple other nagging injuries throughout the 2018 season — a foot injury prevented him from taking the field in the Colts’ Divisional Round matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs and their high-octane offense — but entered the offseason this year fully healthy for the first time in his professional career.


Upon being selected 15th overall by the Colts in the 2017 NFL Draft, it was hip and hernia procedures that kept him off the field throughout the offseason. Then, of course, he was recovering from major knee surgery last offseason.


This time around? He’s been back in his familiar spot at free safety for every offseason session.


“Right now I feel just as good as I did in college going into an offseason,” Hooker said. “So there is nothing that I can complain about. I’m moving great, feeling great. Weight wise and everything, I am the best I have been since I have been here.”


Reich said he “absolutely” sees a difference in Hooker, even since the end of the 2018 season.


“I see a difference in the way he is moving, making plays on the ball,” Reich said. “He just seems to be – in every aspect of his game – a notch or two higher. So I think that going into this offseason healthy has served him well.”


A clean bill of health, matched with the fact he’s simply more comfortable entering Year 2 in defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ system, has Hooker extremely confident heading into his third season in Indy.


“Personally, I feel like it’s just building off of what I’ve done in the past,” he said. “I feel like coming in my rookie year I did a great job of showing the type of player I can be before the injury happened. Last year was a little bit more quiet. And then this year, I feel like this is the year where I’m going to be the player the Colts brought me here to be.”