Merril Hoge once believed life was as simple as setting a goal and chasing it with everything he had. From an 8-year-old boy in Idaho with a corkboard filled with dreams and inspiration to a starting running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he seemed to have written the perfect success story. Then life intervened.
Today, long after the roar of stadiums has faded, Hoge carries a message forged in adversity: Find a way.
A Kid with a Dream
It all began in 1973. Hoge, then 8 wandered into his grandparents’ living room and saw something that would change his life: the Green Bay Packers on television.
Hoge had already been playing football in his backyard, but he had never seen it played on television.
“I didn’t even know football was on TV,” he says of the time. “But the moment I saw it, I said to myself, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ I love to play football, and I didn’t know they did that on television.”
That spark ignited something permanent. At 12, after a teacher told his class to write down their goals and post them where they could see them every day, Hoge asked his dad to build a corkboard wall in his new bedroom. He wrote down all of his goals, with the top one being “I will play in the National Football League” and pinned it to the corkboard.
It wasn’t just an expression of hope—it was a commitment.
“I made a commitment to that goal. Whatever work was required, I was going to do it,” Hoge says. “I was going to put all my eggs in that basket.”
Living the NFL Dream
True to his word—and with a lot of hard work, dedication, and focus on his dream—Hoge made it. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, he played eight seasons, started 122 consecutive games, which was a record at the time, and made the All-Madden Team.
“I wasn’t just on a roster,” he said. “I was contributing. I played well on Monday nights and in playoff games. But more importantly, I got everything out of my God-given abilities.”
That, he said, is what brings him peace: knowing he gave it his all.
“No one ever regrets doing their best,” he says. “You can’t control how things end, but you can control what you give. I did the very best I could with the talents that I had been given.”
Blindsided by Life
The end of Hoge’s football career came without warning. After seven seasons with the Steelers, he signed with the Chicago Bears in 1994. But that year, during a road game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he sustained a concussion. Several weeks later, he sustained another concussion, cardiac arrest, and a traumatic brain injury.
Not only did he have to retire from football, but he had to relearn basic skills like reading.
“I was 30 and had to start my life over,” he said. “It was the darkest place I’d ever been.”
He spiraled, stuck in anger and blame.
“I pointed fingers and made excuses every day for my career when it ended—how bad the doctors were, the Bears … I sat on the couch and pointed fingers and made excuses. But I wasn’t getting better,” he recalled. “Eventually I realized I had to take ownership. I needed to create a new life. Once I stated to do that then, yes, I let a lot of people help me. But that first initial step is our own responsibility. There will be people to help you on your journey, but they’re not going to come get you off the couch.”
That shift became the foundation of his new life.
By 1996, he was hired as an on-air analyst for ESPN.
“I loved every day at ESPN, and I credit that opportunity for saving me and helping me—number one because I was in a real bad cognitive state when I got there. I was still learning how to read again and remember. I was struggling and that position challenged me to do things that they no do in rehab [for injuries].
“It took me like two years, but what I’m getting at is that it forced me to do things cognitively that I had never done before, and that helped me repair my brain and recover.”
Cancer and a Promise
Then he was thrown another obstacle. In early 2003, Hoge was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. During one of his chemotherapy sessions, his friend Charley Lavalle was there, filming a documentary about his day, and asked him to explain his dedication to the words “find a way” and how that not only helped him live his dream, but now fight to live.
Hoge thought about his children, who were 9 and 7 at the time, and the fact that at the time, there still wasn’t any certainty that his cancer treatments would be successful and made a comment that if all went well, he’d write a book about it.
Though he hadn’t initially meant it seriously, a year later, Lavalle was back to hold him to his word.
The book led to a speaking engagement—and changed the course of his life.
“I never wanted to be a speaker,” he said. “But after that first talk, someone came up to me and said, ‘You helped me see what’s possible.’ And I thought, maybe this isn’t about me.”
Finding His Voice
Today, Hoge travels the country speaking about resilience, mindset, and personal accountability. His message isn’t about inspiration—it’s about transformation.
“Motivation is personal. I can’t make anyone do anything,” he says. “But I can share what’s possible. I can help someone unlock what they already have inside them.”
His goal isn’t applause.
“If people walk away thinking about me, I failed,” Hoge says. “If they walk away thinking about themselves and what they can change, then I did my job.”
Giving Back Through Loss
Hoge’s heart for service is as strong as his competitive spirit. In Pittsburgh, he helped launch what later became the national CHIP program, offering insurance to uninsured children. He also spent two decades as part of the Highmark Caring Place, a grief center born from shared tragedy.
“My friend Charlie, who helped with the book, lost his son. I lost my mom as a kid,” Hoge says. “We realized grief has no timetable. Everyone heals differently.”
Under their leadership, The Highmark Caring Place expanded to multiple cities, offering families a safe space to process and begin healing.
“That work changed lives,” he says. “And it’s still one of the things I’m most proud of.”
Scottsdale: A Place of Peace
Though he splits time between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, Scottsdale remains close to Hoge’s heart.
“I built a home in Desert Highlands in the late ’90s,” he shares. “It’s still one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever lived. The mountains, the sunsets—it’s just peaceful.”
These days, he returns for speaking engagements and to catch up with old friends, including former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. He also never misses a visit to Harold’s Cave Creek Corral.
“Great food, great people. It’s a must-stop for me,” he says.
The Journey Forward
Today, Hoge shows no signs of slowing down. He helped start the NFL’s Way to Play program and works with the Steelers on scouting evaluations. But his real mission is helping others reclaim their lives.
“I’ve been through the darkest moments life can throw at you,” he said. “Brain trauma, cancer, heartbreak. But you don’t have to stay there.”
His message remains the same: Find a way.
“You’re responsible for your journey,” Hoge reiterates, sharing once more that no one will pull you off the couch, but they’ll be there to help you once you start getting up.
Hoge admits that it took him a while to let go of his dream of a Super Bowl win once that possible achievement forcibly taken from him, but he’s come to realize that other things were much more important.
“Whether you win a Super Bowl or not, whether life goes how you planned or not—what matters is that you gave your all,” he said. “That’s how you live without regret. That’s how you find peace.”