Beyond the Orange: Colton Hood

Tennessee redshirt cornerback Colton Hood joined Beyond the Orange presented by Knoxville Smiles this week to detail his first season in Knoxville.

“Just being out there with the guys, I love my teammates,” Hood said. “Just being able to go out there week in and week out with them has been the biggest thing. We are playing football and that’s a game we love. That’s the biggest thing so far.”

Hood has been the key cog in the secondary with the injuries to Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson. He has learned a lot about himself.

“I think it’s about just proving myself right,” Hood said. “Just knowing I can go out there and compete week in and week out and be dominant. That’s what it really boils down to. I always knew that but it’s about proving it to myself than showing the world.”

The decision to come back south from Colorado wasn’t a hard decision. Ultimately, he wanted to test himself against the best and that led him to Rocky Top.

“I think it was more getting closer to home and just getting to play against some of the best talent,” Hood said. “I think me having a decent season at Colorado allowed me to get a little bit of buzz to get me to a program like Tennessee. I think that’s what it was for the most part.”

And when he arrived for his visit, he knew pretty quick that this was home. 

“I’m pretty impulsive and when my mind is set, it is set,” Hood said. “I think when I walked in and was greeted by the all the coaches I felt the energy and it felt like somewhere I wanted to be. It was probably 30 minutes into my visit,”

Watch the full episode of Beyond the Orange below.