Merril Hoge had a successful NFL career, a 10th-round pick from Idaho State who beat the odds and spent eight years in the league. But the sport that has given him so much also nearly ended his life. Hoge opened up about the end of his career and the events that nearly killed him.
Traded from Pittsburgh to the Chicago Bears ahead of the 1994 season, Hoge suffered a concussion in the preseason and was cleared far too quickly due to a poor doctor’s evaluation, given the “ok” five days later by a doctor over the phone. In Week 5 against Buffalo, Hoge suffered another head injury with even more serious immediate consequences.