New Castle native selected 15th overall in NFL Draft

PITTSBURGH — Malik Hooker didn’t play high school football until his junior year.

He actually started his high school career as a basketball star, and ended up being a part of two WPIAL championship teams at New Castle.

In his final two years of high school, Hooker added football to his resume, becoming a standout wide receiver and cornerback before deciding to play college football at Ohio State.

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After being red-shirted his first year at OSU, Hooker played 12 games as a safety in 2015.

Then, in his only year as a starter, Hooker enjoyed a breakout season. He had two interceptions in his first start, and finished the season as a consensus All-American selection.

But Hooker’s football success is only part of what makes him special. In New Castle, Hooker is known for his humility, and for embracing his status as a role model.

On Thursday, in the hours before some of the most significant hours of his life, Hooker was in Pittsburgh, paying a visit to patients at Children’s Hospital.

Hooker stayed close to home on draft day. He could have been part of the festivities at the start of the NFL draft in Philadelphia. Instead, he chose to stay in western Pennsylvania, and will be watching with family and friends.

The Indianapolis Colts continued their defensive remap Thursday by taking Hooker with the 15th overall pick in the NFL draft.

At 6-foot-1, 206 pounds, Hooker was considered the second-best safety in the rookie class. LSU's Jamal Adams went to the New York Jets at No. 6

The Colts never expected the big-hitting playmaker they've been seeking for years to be there when their turn came up.

Hooker only played two seasons with the Buckeyes but had a breakout year in 2016. He had 74 tackles, seven interceptions and returned three for touchdowns — exactly the kind of game-changer coach Chuck Pagano and new general manager Chris Ballard were looking for in the draft.

Indy could have taken one of two Alabama players — defensive tackle Jonathan Allen or linebacker Reuben Foster — at positions where they could have used help.

But Pagano said he was sold on Hooker after Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano told him Hooker was the closest safety he's seen to Ed Reed. Schiano and Pagano were both assistants on the University of Miami staff when Reed was in school.

Hooker joins a secondary that already has two young safeties — T.J. Green, a second-round pick last year, and Clayton Geathers, a fourth-round pick in 2015. Veteran Darius Butler also was expected to move from cornerback to safety this season.

Ballard made it clear from his opening news conference he intended to make defense a top priority this offseason. He signed more than a half-dozen veterans in free agency, and now has taken the same approach in the draft. The Colts haven't finished among the top half of NFL defenses in any of Pagano's five seasons as coach.

Hooker is the highest draft pick by the Colts since Andrew Luck went No. 1 in 2012. He is the highest defensive player drafted by the Colts since Dwight Freeney in 2002.

Cox Media Group and The Associated Press