Merril Hoge
Encyclopedia
Merril DuAine Hoge (ˈhɒdʒ; born January 26, 1965) is a former professional American football
player. He played eight seasons at running back
for the NFL's
Pittsburgh Steelers
and Chicago Bears
, retiring after the 1994
season. Since 1997 he has been a football analyst for ESPN
television.
, Idaho
in 1983. He stayed in town for college and was a four-year starter as a 6'1", 220-pound running back on the Idaho State
football team.
selected Hoge in the tenth round of 1987 NFL Draft
with the 261st pick overall. After seven seasons with the Steelers, Hoge signed with the Chicago Bears
as a free agent in 1994, but played in only five games with only six carries and 13 receptions.
During a game against the Chiefs in Kansas City, Hoge received a concussion
and, five days later, the team doctor approved him to resume playing during a telephone call without examining him to determine if he had recovered; he was still suffering post-concussion symptoms.
Hoge sustained another concussion several weeks later, and had to be resuscitated after he stopped breathing. He spent 48 hours in the intensive-care unit and was forced to retire due to brain injury. Hoge had to learn to read again and experienced memory loss, confusion and headaches. He later sued the Bears team doctor and won a $1.55 million judgment.
In his career, Hoge gained 3139 rushing yards and 2133 receiving yards, along with 34 touchdowns. While playing fullback in the Steeler's I-form offense, he scored 10 touchdowns in 1990.
. He had the first of six chemotherapy
treatments on February 28. He maintained a positive outlook throughout his treatment:
Soon after treatment began, Dr. Stanley Marks, Hoge's oncologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
, gave him a 75-80% chance of prolonged remission.
On July 2, 2003, after completing the chemotherapy, Hoge was declared cancer-free.
, with his son Beau (born 1997) and daughter Kori (born 1993). Fort Thomas is a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio
, on the south side of the Ohio River
. When Hoge was playing for the Steelers, his wife Toni did not want to live in Pittsburgh and had previously resided there, so he deferred to her choice and it became his home. They have since divorced.
His mother died when he was 19.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He played eight seasons at running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the NFL's
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, retiring after the 1994
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
season. Since 1997 he has been a football analyst for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
television.
College career
Hoge graduated from Highland High School in PocatelloPocatello, Idaho
Pocatello is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
in 1983. He stayed in town for college and was a four-year starter as a 6'1", 220-pound running back on the Idaho State
Idaho State University
Idaho State University is a public university located in Pocatello, Idaho. It has outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls....
football team.
Professional career
The Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
selected Hoge in the tenth round of 1987 NFL Draft
1987 NFL Draft
The 1987 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1987...
with the 261st pick overall. After seven seasons with the Steelers, Hoge signed with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as a free agent in 1994, but played in only five games with only six carries and 13 receptions.
During a game against the Chiefs in Kansas City, Hoge received a concussion
Concussion of the brain
Concussion, from the Latin concutere or the Latin concussus , is the most common type of traumatic brain injury...
and, five days later, the team doctor approved him to resume playing during a telephone call without examining him to determine if he had recovered; he was still suffering post-concussion symptoms.
Hoge sustained another concussion several weeks later, and had to be resuscitated after he stopped breathing. He spent 48 hours in the intensive-care unit and was forced to retire due to brain injury. Hoge had to learn to read again and experienced memory loss, confusion and headaches. He later sued the Bears team doctor and won a $1.55 million judgment.
In his career, Hoge gained 3139 rushing yards and 2133 receiving yards, along with 34 touchdowns. While playing fullback in the Steeler's I-form offense, he scored 10 touchdowns in 1990.
Battle with cancer
Hoge injured his shoulder in an automobile accident in June 2002 and had an operation to repair a torn ligament. During an examination six months after surgery, Hoge told his doctor, Jim Bradley (who happens to be the Steeler's team physician), about a recurring back pain. Dr. Bradley began ordering tests to determine the cause. On February 14, 2003, Hoge was diagnosed with stage II Non-Hodgkin lymphomaNon-Hodgkin lymphoma
The non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a diverse group of blood cancers that include any kind of lymphoma except Hodgkin's lymphomas. Types of NHL vary significantly in their severity, from indolent to very aggressive....
. He had the first of six chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
treatments on February 28. He maintained a positive outlook throughout his treatment:
Soon after treatment began, Dr. Stanley Marks, Hoge's oncologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is an $9 billion integrated global nonprofit health enterprise that has 54,000 employees, 20 hospitals, 4,200 licensed beds, 400 outpatient sites and doctors’ offices, a 1.5 million-member health insurance division, as well as commercial and...
, gave him a 75-80% chance of prolonged remission.
On July 2, 2003, after completing the chemotherapy, Hoge was declared cancer-free.
Personal
Hoge lives in Fort Thomas, KentuckyFort Thomas, Kentucky
Fort Thomas is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, on the southern bank of the Ohio River and the site of an 1890 US Army post. The population was 16,325 at the 2010 census, making it the largest city in Campbell County and it is officially part of the Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky metropolitan...
, with his son Beau (born 1997) and daughter Kori (born 1993). Fort Thomas is a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, on the south side of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. When Hoge was playing for the Steelers, his wife Toni did not want to live in Pittsburgh and had previously resided there, so he deferred to her choice and it became his home. They have since divorced.
His mother died when he was 19.
Philanthrophy
Hoge has served on the board of directors of the Highmark Caring Foundation since the early 1990s. He also ran the Hoge-Bruener-Ward Celebrity Golf Classic for over ten years.External links
- Merril Hoge ESPN Bio
- Merril Hoge Football Camp at Robert Morris University
- Database Football.com - Merril Hoge - career statistics
- Highmark Caring Foundation (PA) - Merril Hoge profile
- 1987 NFL Draft - round 10, 261st overall
- Merril Hoge.com - brief profile
- http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/20135/Quiet-but-confident-NFL-player-thrives-on-work-clean-living.html Quiet but confident, NFL player thrives on work, clean living