Merril Hoge

Three simple words helped Merril Hoge live a dream and fight to live: Find-A-Way!  Armed with those words, Hoge has faced and beat cancer, survived open-heart surgery, endured career-ending head trauma, battled depression, and overcome a farming accident as a young boy that nearly cost him his hand.

“Find A Way” inspired action in Hoge’s life, and today his empowering message encourages people to take action and Find A Way to achieving, overcoming, and changing the circumstances of their own lives.

A retired NFL running back and former ESPN analyst, Hoge shares with audiences his story of prevailing over life’s hurdles through strength and determination while achieving success through hard work and perseverance. He began his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, eventually joining the Chicago Bears before retiring due to post-concussion syndrome. During his 20+ years as an ESPN analyst and host, Hoge was well-known for his sharp insights and knowledge of the game and is still sought after as an NFL insider.

In 2010, Hoge wrote his first book, Find A Way: Three Words That Changed My Life, in which he shares inspiring, life-changing experiences, along with stories of people like Chuck Noll and Walter Payton, who challenged and inspired him. He published Brainwashed: The Bad Science Behind CTE and the Plot to Destroy Football in 2018, an informative, game-changing book that shines a light on the facts surrounding the science.

Find a Way

A man who has spent a lifetime taking on and overcoming challenges on and off the football field, Merril Hoge helps and shows audiences how to ‘Find A Way” as he did, to achieve any goal in life or business. Using examples from his own experiences, Hoge inspires teams to continue moving the line forward in pursuit of their goals and dreams. Despite dealing with improper care of head trauma that ended his NFL career prematurely, fighting cancer (Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) and overcoming open heart surgery, Merril has found a way through these adversities in his life. He shares with audiences how to achieve success with a relentless everyday mindset that helps you plow through the tough days and overcome challenges. He also emphasizes the importance of building and surrounding yourself with a great team in the huddle to help widen your focus to be uncommon! He challenges leaders to coach and teach in the yardsticks of their years and not yours. It will give the leader patience, a new sense of perception and help build a bridge of success with every individual!