Just over a calendar year after the controversial end to last year’s contest between Tennessee and Ole Miss, the legend of the mustard bottle lives on.
On Friday, Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker — who has a chance at the Heisman Trophy after guiding his team to an 8-0 start and No. 1 ranking in the College Football Playoff Rankings — announced a name, image and likeness deal with French’s mustard.
As part of the deal, Hooker and French’s even debuted a new mustard-themed sneaker.
If you’ll remember, in last year’s 31-26 loss to the Rebels, Tennessee appeared to convert on a fourth-and-long attempt with the game on the line. However, the ball was spotted short, a call that stood upon review.
Enraged, Tennessee fans began hurling trash on the field, leading to an iconic shot of a mustard bottle that was apparently snuck into Neyland Stadium. That meme took on a life of its own, and this NIL deal is a clear homage to that incident.
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker has reached an NIL-deal with French's Mustard.
The brand has created a one-of-a-kind sneaker for Hooker based on the condiment. pic.twitter.com/TtbV4RS6IX
— Matt Murschel (@osmattmurschel) November 4, 2022
This isn’t the only mustard-themed NIL deal we’ve seen this season, as star Texas running back Bijan Robinson released his own brand of dijon mustard, which is appropriately named “Bijan Mustardson.”
The Vols have ridden Hooker and their potent offense to the top of college football in the second season under coach Josh Heupel. They’ve already dispatched Alabama this season, and they have another huge contest on Saturday against defending national champion Georgia in Athens.
We’ll have to see if Vols fans bring their mustard with them on the road for that one — just in case.
