Brad Hoover: Ultimate Carolina Panther Faces Latest Challenge

By selecting Tony Fiammetta in April’s NFL draft, the Carolina Panthers cast a tinge of doubt on the future of one of the organization’s stalwart performers.

For the past nine seasons, Brad Hoover has toiled as fullback and special teams player for Carolina, becoming a public relations soldier for the image-conscious franchise, as dependable off the field as on.

Like former Panthers Sam Mills, Wesley Walls, and Mike Minter, Hoover has been a face-of-the franchise type of guy whose post-game interviews have been as solid as his lead blocks.

A native of nearby Thomasville, NC, and a star at Western Carolina University, Hoover gives the organization a strong regional connection, someone ticket buyers in the region can identify with on game day.

Holding a roster spot in the NFL, though, is fraught with uncertainty and constant battles for survival, particularly with young guys like Fiammetta ready to take a starting job away from a 32-year-old like Hoover. Regional connections be damned.

Nonetheless, the drafting of Fiammetta caught even Hoover off guard, as he admitted to being surprised by the move, soon after the Panthers selected Fiammetta in the fourth round as the 128th pick overall.

Life as an NFL fullback is not one of the game’s more glamorous roles, as modern fullbacks, particularly in I formation offenses, are often little more than guards allowed to line up in the backfield.

They get the occasional rush attempt, and a pass or two is thrown their way now and then, but longevity in the league more often depends on their ability to block and/or contribute on special teams.

Fighting with the infantry is a role familiar to Fiammetta. He seldom carried the ball at Syracuse, producing a mere 66 yards on five attempts during his senior season, including a 58-yard run in his final game.

He did, however, catch 28 passes over his last two seasons. And, like Hoover, he made a solid contribution on special teams.

Unlike Fiammetta, Hoover’s collegiate career was marked by success as a running back. He rushed for 3,616 yards at Western, and scored 28 touchdowns. His junior season produced a school-record 1,663 yards rushing at what was then known as the Division I-AA level.

Hoover was undrafted following his senior season, but signed with the Panthers as a free agent. So the challenge was large from the beginning; undrafted players from small college programs don’t get free passes in the NFL.

As a rookie during the 2000 season, Hoover started four games at running back after injuries sidelined Tshimanga Biakabutuka.

Hoover’s performance that year on Monday Night Football remains one of the team’s most memorable snapshots in the national spotlight. In a 31-14 win over Green Bay, he rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown, and he caught three passes for 41 yards.

Hoover moved to fullback the next season. Personal highlights have been few, but he has remained a vital part of the Panthers while others have come and gone.

Remember Casey Cramer? How about Chris Hetherington? Or Casey Moore?

Hoover has fought off other challenges, and he may well survive another three or four seasons with the Panthers. A lot depends on the development of Fiammetta. Whatever happens, the rookie would do well to emulate Hoover, off the field as well as on the field.

The Carolina Panthers have built a respected franchise on the shoulders of guys like Hoover. Solid. Dependable. Personable. Guys with a lunch bucket work ethic and a strong sense of duty.

The Panthers value those traits, as shown by the statue of Sam Mills outside the team’s stadium.

Mills, a former Panthers linebacker and coach who died of cancer in 2005, exemplified everything team owner Jerry Richardson expects to define the organization.

Hoover may never rate a statue. But you can bet he’s ready to defend his territory like never before. He’s just that type of soldier.