A Campbell Q&A with Bobby Hoying - National Football Foundation (2024)

The first Big Ten player to win the Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, Hoying currently is co-chairman of a full-service real estate company in Ohio.

Bobby Hoying accepts the 1995 Campbell Trophy at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

A model student-athlete, Bobby Hoying became the first Big Ten player to win the Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, having built an incredible résumé as a three-year starting quarterback at Ohio State and a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. From 1993-95, Hoying started 38 games for the Buckeyes, leading them to a 30-7-1 record and a share of the 1993 Big Ten championship. Named team captain in 1995, he earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors, and he remains in the top five on Ohio State's all-time charts for career touchdown passes (57), career completions (498) and career passing yards (7,232). A 1995 third-round selection of the Philadelphia Eagles, Hoying started 13 games in three seasons for the Eagles, and he played two more seasons with the Oakland Raiders before retiring from football in 2001. Hoying currently works as the co-chairman and a principal in Crawford Hoying, a full-service real estate company in Ohio.

You were the first Campbell Trophy winner from Ohio State and the Big Ten. How does it feel to hold those distinctions?
I am honored. There have been so many great student-athletes from the Big Ten over the years and [I am] honored to have been the first. I had lots of early support and guidance from the Ohio State academic counselors, especially Larry Romanoff, that set me on a good academic path.

What is so special aboutBig Ten football and what was your most memorable conference game?
I think my most memorable conference game was vs. Penn State in 1995. Ricky Dudley caught a big fourth-down conversation early on a last-minute drive that led to the victory.

Did you have any pre-game rituals (music, superstition, meal, etc.) in college?
I listened to Pearl Jam and, for a time, always wore an old article of clothing from my high school days under my pads.

If you could pick one person to "dot the i" at Ohio State, who would it be and why?
Eddie George, a co-captain of mine in 1995 and one of the best teammates I've ever had.

We heard that you were a pretty good basketball player and even had scholarship offers. What made you choose football and who were some of your sports idols (football and basketball) growing up?
I think I realized around my sophom*ore or junior season that playing football would provide a bigger stage than the basketball schools that were recruiting me. I loved playing both though and also ran track. Too many kids today don't play multiple sports.

Youare currently a principal in Crawford Hoying, a full-service real estate company. What attracted you to that business?
I met my business partner on the golf course shortly after my rookie season in Philadelphia playing for the Eagles. He was already invested in apartments, and I was looking for something to do post-football. When you are a third-round draft pick, there is nothing guaranteed. I was fortunate to play for the Eagles and Raiders for a number of years, but every camp was a competitive battle to make the team. You just don't know when it will be all over, and I wanted to be prepared.

Guilty pleasure TV show?
Peaky Blinders... Thomas Shelby is the man!

Go-to junk food of choice?
Twizzlers.

Favorite travel spot?
Captiva Island (FL), South Seas Island Resort.

Favorite songs?

1. "Everlong" – Foo Fighters
2. "Given to Fly" – Pearl Jam
3. "Fix You" – Coldplay

Campbell Trophy Q&A Background:
Click herefor more information on TheWilliam V. CampbellTrophy® Presented by Mazda, which has been presented every year since 1990 to the nation's top scholar-athlete from the college gridiron. In 2019, Mazda became the sponsor of the Trophy,launching their Power of Potential Platformwith ESPN. The trophy is a member of theNational College Football Awards Association, which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football.

Today's Q&A represents the tenth in a series of Q&A sessions with former winners of the Campbell Trophy.

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