Brad Hoover was born on November 11, 1976 in Thomasville, NC. He attended Ledford High School where he played at the position of Running Back for the Ledford Panthers. He attended Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. While at WCU, he was ranked second all-time with 3,616 rushing yards and fifth all-time with 28 touchdowns. As a Junior, he accomplished a school record 1,663 yards rushing on 331 carries and had 13 touchdowns. He earned the first-team All-Southern Conference recognition in his Junior year (1998) as well. As a Senior (1999), he gained 1,025 yards rushing and scored 12 touchdowns and earned second-team All-Southern Conference recognition that year. He was only the second player in school history to post two 1,000 yard rushing seasons.

In 2000, Brad was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent to the NFL Carolina Panthers (April 26, 2000). As one of three undrafted rookie free agents to play in all 16 regular season games, and starting in four games in place of the injured Tshimanga Biakabutuka. That season, he finished second on the team with 290 yards rushing and one touchdown on 89 carries, had 112 yards receiving on 15 catches and contributed to five tackles and a fumble recovery while on special teams. His first NFL career start came on November 19, 2000 as the Panthers took on the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota and an injury sidelined Biakabutuka. Brad rushed for 59 yards on 18 carries and had two receptions for 16 yards, the first of his career. His second career start came just the following week in a Monday night game vs. the Green Bay Packers in Charlotte. Brad rushed for 117 yards on 24 carries and scored one touchdown. He also had three catches for 41 yards that night helping the Panthers win 31-14. He joined Running Back Fred Lane as the only rookie in team history to produce a 100-yard game.

During the off season, Brad switched to the position of Fullback and in the 2001 season, played in all 16 games with seven starts. He compiled 71 yards on 17 carries and a personal-best 26 catches for 185 yards and four special teams tackles. At the San Francisco 49ers on October 17, 2001, Brad saw his first extensive action of the season at fullback completing four catches for 25 yards and two rushes for 12 yards. At the Washington Redskins on October 21, 2001, Brad had three carries for 12 yards and a six-yard catch before suffering a concussion and leaving the game in the third quarter. On November 25, 2001 vs. the Atlanta Falcons, he had one carry for no yards and left the game with an injured shoulder.

A standout year for Brad as he played in all 16 regular season games with a career high 10 starts at fullback. He had 31 carries for a total of 129 rushing yards and 17 catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns gaining career highs for receiving yards and touchdown receptions. He also had a career high nine tackles on special teams as a member of the coverage units that led the league in opponents kickoff return average for the second straight season. At the Green Bay Packers on September 29, 2002, Brad caught a career long 31 yard reception that set up a touchdown. At the Dallas Cowboys on October 13, 2002, he caught a 25 yard pass from Quarterback Rodney Peete for his first NFL touchdown reception. Against Atlanta in Charlotte on November 24, 2002, Brad started and led the team with three catches for 46 yards. Finally on December 29, 2002, Brad grabbed a 15 yard catch that served as the teams only touchdown in a 10-6 win over the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome.

Again played in all 16 regular season games with nine starts. Brad provided six carries for 21 yards in addition to 12 catches for 72 yards and one touchdown. He added four special teams tackles and served as the primary blocking back to a rushing attack that was ranked seventh in the NFL with an average of 130.7 rushing yards per game, the highest the Carolina Panthers had ever finished at the end of a regular season. Brad helped the team obtain a team record 2,091 yards of rushing surpassing the previous mark of 1,770 yards set in 1997. The team also rushed for more than 170 yards in six games. Brad's playing efforts helped running back Stephen Davis rush for 1,444 yards gaining a team record and career high. On September 14, 2003, at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he blocked for Stephen Davis clearing the way for him to gain 142 yards rushing. The Panthers won that contest in overtime. That game's performance helped Davis win NFC Offensive Player of the Week and become the first Panther to gain more than 100 yards in two consecutive games since Tshimanga Biakabutuka in 1999. Against the New Orleans Saints on October 5, 2003 in front of a home crowd, Brad helped Davis rush for 159 yards, the third highest single game total for a player in team history and allowing the team to win. Three weeks later in New Orleans vs. the Saints, Brad was part of a team running attack that gained a team record 223 yards for an overtime win and allowing Davis to gain 178 for the highest single game total in Panthers History. At the Dallas Cowboys on November 23, 2003, Brad caught a one-yard pass for his third career touchdown. POSTSEASON: Brad provided four carries for 12 yards and one touchdown as well as five catches for 35 yards. In Saint Louis against the Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game on January 10, 2004, Brad scored a touchdown on a seven yard run in the fourth quarter, had his first career kickoff return for 19 yards and contributed to a running attack that put up 216 yards on 41 carries. The Panthers went on to win the Division Championship in the second overtime period.

Brad played in 14 contests with nine starts and gained 246 yards on 68 carries and registered 21 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns, matching single-season best previously accomplished in 2000. He helped pave running lanes for Nick Goings to rush for a career-high 821 yards and five touchdowns. Brad served as the primary lead blocker for an offense that averaged 326.6 yards per game, the second-highest total in club history, trailing only 355.4 yards produced in 1999. Brad contributed five special teams tackles. He missed game action for the first time in his career versus the Arizona Cardinals (11/21) and versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11/28) with an injured hip. In Green Bay against the Packers on September 13, 2004, Brad scored the Panthers first touchdown of the season on a one-yard reception. At the Kansas City Chiefs on September 19, 2004 he tied for the team lead with four catches for 37 yards and helping the team win the game. Against the Atlanta Falcons on October 3, 2004, Brad posted a career-long 38-yard reception. At the San Diego Chargers on October 24, 2004 Brad started at running back for the first time since rookie season in 2000 and led team with 99 yards on 24 carries. Against the Oakland Raiders on November 7, 2004, he caught 16-yard touchdown pass.

Brad started 15 games and was inactive for one contest at Detroit on October 16, 2005, with an injured shoulder. He gained 22 yards on 10 carries and 87 yards on 14 receptions. Brad helped open running lanes for Stephen Davis to establish a team record with 12 rushing touchdowns and for DeShaun Foster to amass a career-high 879 rushing yards, the third-highest single season total in team history. Brad helped the offense rank sixth in the NFL in third down efficiency with a 42.2 percent conversion rate and eighth in scoring with an average of 24.4 points per game, the second highest average in team history. He contributed two special teams tackles. POSTSEASON: Brad started all three contests, tallied three receptions for 22 yards and rushed two times for zero yards. He helped the Panthers improve their rushing average to 127.3 yards per game during the postseason after averaging 104.9 yards during the regular season. The offense generated 4.3 yards per carry in the postseason after posting a 3.4 average during the regular season. At the Atlanta Falcons on January 1, 2006, Brad's contributions helped establish a team record with 13 rushing first downs and 229 yards rushing, including 165 rushing yards by DeShaun Foster. That victory secured a playoff berth. In the NFC Wild Card game at the New York Giants on January 8, 2006, Brad contributed to an offense that accumulated 223 yards rushing on 45 attempts and maintained possession for 42:45. This marked first time in team history that Carolina gained more than 200 yards rushing in consecutive contests after it amassed a team-record 229 yards in the previous game at Atlanta. This effort enabled Carolina to join Atlanta as the only teams to generate consecutive games with 200 or more yards rushing during the 2005 season. 42:45 stands as the highest time of possession in team history for any game, including the playoffs. In the NFC Divisional Playoff at the Chicago Bears on January 15, 2006, Brad helped the Panthers offense accumulate 29 points and 434 total net yards, including 123 yards rushing, against a Chicago defense that allowed a League-low 12.9 points per game and ranked second in the NFL in yards allowed per game. He aided pass protection that limited Chicago to one sack after Carolina surrendered eight sacks at Chicago earlier in the season. Brad helped Carolina equal an NFL record with its fourth consecutive road postseason victory, matching streak previously accomplished by the Dallas Cowboys from 1975-81. The Panthers became only the fourth team since 1990 to win an NFC Divisional Playoff game on the road. Brad was also a member of the 2003 Carolina team that earned a 29-23 double-overtime victory in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at St. Louis

In the 2006 NFL season with the Carolina Panthers, Brad appeared in all 16 games with 12 starts... Brad completed 23 rushes for a total of 73 yards averaging 3.3 yards per carry. His longest carry was 17 yards and he had one rushing touchdown. On the receiving end, Brad completed 20 catches for 122 yards and averaged 6.1 yards per catch. His longest reception was 16 yards and unfortunately had no receiving touchdowns. He helped open running lanes for DeShaun Foster to rush for a career-high 897 yards and DeAngelo Williams to rush for 501 yards, the second-highest mark registered by a rookie behind Fred Lane's 809 yards posted in 1997. Brad contributed to a career-high 10 special teams tackles. Against the New Orleans Saints on October 1, 2006, Brad led the way for the offense to rush for 167 yards and threw a key block on DeShaun Foster's 43-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that sealed the win for Carolina. At the Cincinatti Bengals on October 22, 2006, Brad started at Fullback for his 100th game for Carolina. Against Tampa Bay on November 13, 2006, Brad scored on a five-yard touchdown run.

Brad played in all 16 games with 12 starts for Carolina...His rushing produced 39 yards on 12 attempts and he notched 10 receptions for 58 yards...Brad served as the primary lead blocker for a ground attack that rushed for 1,824 yards last season, the second-highest single-season total in team history behind the 2,091 yards in 2003...In addition to his normal Fullback duites and accomplishments, Brad collected seven special teams tackles...At St. Louis (9/9): Started at fullback...Posted a season-high 16 yards on two carries...He also contributed to Panthers offense that amassed a season high 186 rushing yards on 38 attempts.

Played in all 16 games with 13 starts...Posted 18 rushing yards on nine attempts and six receptions for 39 yards...Served as the primary lead blocker for a Panthers rushing attack that finished third in the NFL with an average of 152.3 yards per game and set franchise records for rushing yards in a season with 2,437, rushing yards per attempt with an average of 4.84, rushing touchdowns with 30 and rushing first downs with 118...Collected four special teams tackles...Vs. Tampa Bay (9/9): Helped open running lanes for running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to rush for a franchise record 299 yards and four touchdowns...NFC Divisional Playoffs Vs. Arizona (1/10): Started at fullback in eighth postseason contest and made one reception for seven yards.

PRO CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

TRANSACTIONS
Re-signed as an unrestricted free agent by Carolina (2/29/08)...Signed to contract extension by Carolina (2/27/03)...Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by Carolina (4/26/00).

GP/GS
Career (152/95);2009 (11/4); 2008 (16/11); 2007 (16/12); 2006 (16/12); 2005 (15/15) [3/3]; 2004 (14/9); 2003 (16/9) [4/2]; 2002 (16/10); 2001 (16/7); 2000 (16/4).

PRO CAREER