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Hoff to play football at University of Jamestown

Brady Hoff will follow his Fallbrook High School football career with gridiron activity for the University of Jamestown, which is in North Dakota.

Hoff was given an athletic scholarship to play for the Jimmies, who are in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

"It was hard work and definitely something not everyone can do. It's an honor to have been able to earn one, and I'm excited for the journey," Hoff said.

Hoff was also considering Sterling College, which is in Kansas, before deciding on the University of Jamestown due to the school's facilities and culture. "Everything seemed to be focused towards athletics and the students," he said. "Everybody there basically plays a sport."

The school separates classes from sport practice so that no students have to miss classes to participate in a sport. The University of Jamestown has approximately 4,000 students, which also attracted Hoff. "It was nice to be able not to have as many students in every class," he said.

Hoff played both baseball and football for Fallbrook High School prior to graduating in June. Baseball tournaments kept him from committing to youth football prior to Fallbrook High School, and he chose not to play football in ninth grade so that he could focus on making the baseball varsity team as a freshman. Hoff was on Fallbrook's baseball varsity for all four of his high school years.

During the football season, Hoff was an offensive lineman and defensive lineman for the Warriors. The Valley League football coaches gave him honorable mention all-league status as a sophomore in 2018.

Hoff was a first-team Valley League football player as a junior in 2019, which was Troy Everhart's first season as Fallbrook's head coach. The Warriors had a season record of 0-10 that year.

The 2020-21 Warriors improved to 2-3. Hoff was once again chosen to the Valley League first team. "He was a catalyst to getting this turned around," Everhart said. "He's one of the primary reasons for the turnaround of this program."

Hoff was also a team captain for 2020-21. "His leadership is what's going to be sorely missed," Everhart said. "You can't have enough of those guys."

A 21-15 victory April 2 at home against Escondido was Fallbrook's first on-field win since August 2018 (the Warriors also had a forfeit win in 2018) and Fallbrook's first Valley League victory since 2015. That was Hoff's favorite Fallbrook High School football memory. The Warriors recovered an onside kick with 1:36 remaining and gained a first down three plays later. On that play Hoff incurred a high ankle sprain which kept him out of the Warriors' final two football games, but Hoff was a unanimous first-team Valley League selection despite playing only three games.

The injury limited Hoff to three Valley League baseball games in 2021, which were not enough for all-league consideration, and the coronavirus outbreak ended the 2020 season prior to league play. Hoff's only all-league baseball recognition was in 2019, when he was an honorable mention player for his sophomore season. The left-handed Hoff was a first baseman and pitcher during the baseball season.

Hoff will make a decision whether or not to play baseball as well as football in college. "We'll see. Not sure if I really want to, but we'll see when I get up there," he said.

If he plays baseball in college, Hoff plans to be a first baseman only and does not intend to pitch. Hoff was also a center on Fallbrook High School's freshman basketball team when he was in ninth grade but did not play that sport after his freshman year.

The Hoff family has had a gymnasium in the house since Brady Hoff's early childhood. The facilities were upgraded approximately three years ago. Hoff, who is 6'3", weighed 320 pounds during the 2020-21 football season.

"He's built to play now," Everhart said.

Many college coaches are reluctant to play true freshman in line positions since players out of high school often lack the weight of older college linemen. Hoff has the frame to play NAIA football. "They told me I have a good shot at making the travel squad," he said. "The goal is to try to start."

The weight is muscle rather than fat. "He's mobile. He's tenacious," Everhart said. "That guy's going to show out one on one as a true football player."

Everhart noted that Hoff's focus on playing as a team doesn't negate his individual talents. "He was certainly a devastating blocker and did an outstanding job on defense," Everhart said.

The lack of camps during the summer of 2020 prevented Hoff from demonstrating his one-on-one skills. "Athletically he's extraordinarily gifted," Everhart said.

Hoff expects to play offensive line at the University of Jamestown, which is in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

In addition to his all-league award for his senior football season Hoff was also given the Heart of the Warrior Award at the post-season football awards banquet, a Scholar Leader-Athlete Award from the National Football Foundation's San Diego chapter, and Fallbrook High School's 2020-21 male Senior Student-Athlete award from the San Diego High School Sports Association.

"Just another outstanding young man in the classroom and on the field," Everhart said. "His number one quality was his leadership."

Hoff plans to major in criminal justice at the University of Jamestown while minoring in psychology. He desires a career in law enforcement or other public service.

"I'm excited for it. I'm really looking forward to going there and playing football," Hoff said.

Author Bio

Joe Naiman, Writer

Joe Naiman has been writing for the Village News since 2001

 

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