Roland Hooks

Roland L. Hooks (born January 2, 1953) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) who played for the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at North Carolina State University.

Roland Hooks
No. 25
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1953-01-02) January 2, 1953
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Career information
High school:West Craven (NC)
College:North Carolina State
NFL Draft:1975 / Round: 10 / Pick: 253
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:1,682
Average:4.2
Touchdowns:12
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early years

Hooks attended Farm Life High School in Vanceboro, NC. He accepted a football scholarship from North Carolina State University.

As a sophomore in 1972, when Lou Holtz arrived as the new head coach at North Carolina State University, he implemented split-back veer offense to take advantage of the talent at running back, that included Hooks, Stan Fritts, Willie Burden and Charley Young.[1] At the time, this was arguably the best group of running backs in the nation, they were known as "The Four Stallions" and everyone of them went on to play in a professional football league.[2][3] He posted 62 carries (sixth on the team) for 283 yards (fourth on the team), a 4.6-yard average and 2 rushing touchdowns.

As a junior in 1973, he was part of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship team as a halfback. He registered 48 carries (fifth on the team) for 235 yards (fourth on the team), a 4.9-yard average and one rushing touchdown.

As a senior in 1974, he was second on the team behind Fritts with 136 carries for 850 yards, a 6.3-yard average and 9 rushing touchdowns. He finished his college career with 246 carries for 1,368 yards, a 5.6-yard average and 12 rushing touchdowns.

Professional career

Hooks was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 10th round (253rd overall) of the 1975 NFL Draft.

He scored four touchdowns in the second half on his first four carries (3 yds, 32 yds, 4 yds, 28 yds) in the Bills 51-24 win[4] over the Cincinnati Bengals on September 9, 1979.[5][6]

Hooks might be best known for a Hail Mary catch he made against the New England Patriots on November 22, 1981.[7] The 36-yard touchdown pass from Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson with five seconds remaining won the game for Buffalo, 20-17.[8] Hooks set up the winning touchdown with a 37-yard, over-the-shoulder catch.[9][10] The win proved to be crucial in giving Buffalo the final playoff spot in the AFC in 1981.

In 98 career games, including nine starts, he rushed for 1,682 yards on 399 carries and scored 12 touchdowns and added 950 yards on 96 receptions and 3 TDs.[11]

Personal life

Hooks was an assistant football coach at Galena High School in Reno, Nevada.[12]

References
  1. "Holtz Selects Starting Backfield For WolfPack". Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  2. "Offensive fireworks due at Liberty Bowl". Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  3. "WolfPack Gridders Get Their Shot At Winning". Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  4. "Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills - September 9th, 1979". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  5. "The School of Hard Knox 1978-1985 Buffalo Bills". billszone.com. 2004-01-01. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  6. "McGahee joins exclusive Bills club with 4 TDs". billszone.com. 2004-11-28. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  7. NFL.com: Hooks' Hail Mary catch video
  8. Buffalo Rumblings: Best Moments in Bills History, No. 21: Roland Hooks' Hail Mary Catch
  9. "Milt remembers: 'Hail Mary' to Bills' Roland Hooks shocks Patriots". 16 July 2020.
  10. "Roland Hooks Hail Mary Catch Nov. 22, 1981". YouTube.
  11. "Roland Hooks Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  12. https://www.washoeschools.net/cms/lib08/NV01912265/Centricity/Domain/67/Annual%20District%20Salaries/2012_Annual_District_Salaries_and_Benefits_for_Web.pdf
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