Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame
Brad Hoover - Football - (1996-99)
Brad Hoover arrived in Cullowhee in 1996 from Ledford High as an overlooked running back. He left four seasons later as one of the most heralded players in Catamount football history and parlayed that into a career with the NFL's Carolina Panthers, where he was a fan favorite as an undrafted free agent. As a Catamount, Hoover rushed for 3,616 career yards - second-most in school history - which included a Western Carolina single-season record 1,663 yards in 1998. His 251 rushing yards and then Southern Conference record-tying five touchdowns against VMI in 1998 were also school records until 2016. Also in the 1998 season, the Thomasville, N.C., native keyed an upset of arch-rival Appalachian State with 195 rushing yards on a school-record 49 carries. "Hoov," as he was affectionately known, was a two-time All-SoCon selection, led his teams in rushing for three seasons and is listed in WCU's all-time top 10 in-game, season and career rushing yards as well as game, season and career scoring. Listed as a fullback on the Panthers' roster, Hoover played in 141 games over nine seasons (2000-2008) with 264 rushes for 909 career yards and two rushing touchdowns, adding 141 career catches for 1,023 yards and five scores. His best career individual performance came on a national stage on Monday Night Football where Hoover rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay (Nov. 27, 2000) becoming just the second rookie in franchise history to eclipse the 100-yard mark in a single-game.
