Gary Hogeboom
Encyclopedia
Gary Keith Hogeboom is a former American football
quarterback
in the National Football League
and a contestant on the CBS
reality TV show Survivor: Guatemala
.
, Indianapolis Colts
, Phoenix Cardinals
, and Washington Redskins
after playing college football
at the Central Michigan University
and high school football
at Northview High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan
. He played for ten seasons (1980–1989) and passed for 9,346 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 60 interceptions in his career, along with 164 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground. He also had career highs in 1989 with the Phoenix Cardinals with 2,591 yards passing, 14 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. His only appearance in the postseason was in the Cowboys' 1982 NFC title game against the Washington Redskins
. Filling in for the injured Danny White
, he threw for 162 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions, in Dallas's 31-17 loss. In 1987, as a member of the Indianapolis Colts
, Hogeboom was one of the few regular players in the NFL who did not participate in that year's player strike. He took the field along with replacement player
s, who were recruited to continue the league's schedule during the strike. The Colts' victories in those games were crucial in securing their first playoff berth in ten years.
by the Cowboys in the 1980 NFL Draft
and, by 1982, had moved past Glenn Carano
for the #2 quarterback spot behind Danny White
. He began to garner attention from Cowboys fans and players alike with his performance in the 1982 NFC title game. With the score 24-17 in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys were geared to start a drive to possibly tie the game when Hogeboom had a pass deflected at the line and intercepted by Darryl Grant
, who returned it for the clinching touchdown. The Redskins had dominated the game up to that point, but Hogeboom's performance opened some eyes, including coach Tom Landry
's.
Prior to the 1983 season, the Cowboy players and fans began to lobby for Hogeboom to be the starting quarterback. Danny White
had led the team to three straight NFC title games after taking over for legend Roger Staubach
, but couldn't get over the hump to a Super Bowl
. Also, the players felt that White had betrayed them because of his public support for the NFL team owners during the 1982 NFL players strike
. Furthermore, White was seen as quiet and standoffish, unlike the more vocal and personable Hogeboom. It also helped Hogeboom's cause being 6'4" and 200 pounds, bigger, and with a stronger arm than White.
White responded to the criticism by having his best statistical season ever in 1983 and leading the Cowboys to a 12-2 record going into a home matchup against the hated Redskins. However, the Cowboys were blown out 31-10 at home. The Redskins would go on to finish 14-2 and reach their second straight Super Bowl
, while the Cowboys would be blown out 42-17 the next week by the San Francisco 49ers
on Monday Night Football
and lose the wildcard playoff game at home against the Los Angeles Rams
. The rumblings for White to be benched got stronger as a result.
Landry responded by giving Hogeboom significantly more playing time in the 1984 pre-season and naming him his starter. Hogeboom started out well, throwing for 343 yards in a season opening win on Monday night on national TV against the Rams. However, in the next game against the New York Giants
, linebacker
Lawrence Taylor
sacked him four times and the Cowboys lost, 28-7. Despite the Cowboys 4-1 record, Landry went back to the more experienced White and Hogeboom never started another game for the Cowboy that year.
. With Indianapolis's 2nd round pick, Dallas drafted Darryl Clack
of Arizona State University
. With Dallas's 2nd round pick, the Colts drafted Jack Trudeau
out of University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Mike Pagel
had been the starter at quarterback, but he was then traded to the Cleveland Browns
for a 9th round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft
. With that pick the Colts drafted Bob Ontko from Pennsylvania State University
who would go on to play in only three NFL games.
Excitement was high in Indianapolis at Hogeboom's arrival. The franchise had not seen quality QB play since the days of Bert Jones
. It was thought that giving head coach Rod Dowhower
something to work with would yield great results. Dowhower made his name as the QB coach with the St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) where he coaxed several quality seasons out of Neil Lomax
. Rookie Bill Brooks
was drafted in the 4th round out of Boston University
to provide an additional target for Hogeboom.
fumble and took off down the sideline. At the end of a 50 yard run he was tackled by Dolphin's safety Lyle Blackwood
. On the play Hogeboom had the opportunity to run safely out of bounds, but instead chose to try to run over the hard hitting safety. Blackwood physically picked Hogeboom up and drove him into the ground on his right (throwing) shoulder, causing a serious shoulder separation.
Then Colts General Manager Jim Irsay
had this to say of the tackle: "The way it looked on TV, it was a malicious tackle," "If that's the case, I think a player should be suspended. You're talking about knocking out a team's starting quarterback."
Blackwood was never punished and Hogeboom was assumed to be lost for the season.
Rookie Jack Trudeau
was handed the starting job and the team struggled through the season with thirteen straight losses. After the last loss, Head Coach Rod Dowhower was fired and former Southern Methodist University
and New England Patriots
coach Ron Meyer
was brought in.
Although Meyer had been previously known as a tough disciplinarian, he seemed to have mellowed some and the team responded to him. Hogeboom surprised everyone by returning as starter for Meyer's first game as the Colts coach. They were matched against the Atlanta Falcons and were a heavy underdog. Hogeboom played a great game and the Colts won it in the end on a blocked punt.
Hogeboom and the Colts shocked the NFL by winning the last three games of their season to finish up at 3-13. Most had expected them to have the worst record in the NFL which would have positioned them to draft University of Miami
star Vinny Testaverde
with the first pick in the 1987 NFL Draft
. With those wins, they improved their record over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
who ended up with Testaverde. As it was, the Colts carried considerable optimism heading into the 1987 NFL season.
The owners decided to field teams of replacement players to fulfill their obligation to the ticket holders and television networks. Hogeboom led the Colts replacement players to a 2-0 record before being injured in the second game. This injury was caused by veteran defensive end Marty Lyons
flagrant spearing of Hogeboom on a QB sneak play, breaking a rib in his back and puncturing a lung. This was the second time in two seasons that Hogeboom was injured by the purposeful actions of an opponent. Despite this, Hogeboom was starting to get a reputation for being injury prone. The Colts lost the last strike game without their starting QB.
After the strike the Colts again started Jack Trudeau
at QB. They started out with a win against New England. During the following week, the Colts made a blockbuster trade to get star running back Eric Dickerson
. This was a critical move and told the Colts fans that the team was serious about winning.
Trudeau went on to start the first four games after the strike, winning two and losing two. Since Hogeboom's injury had healed, he was re-inserted as the starter at QB. The Colts then beat Dan Marino
and the Miami Dolphins
only to lose to the New England Patriots
. In the next game Hogeboom led the Colts to a rousing home win versus the Houston Oilers. However, Hogeboom was to again be injured in this game.
On a 22 yard touchdown pass to Albert Bentley
, Hogeboom was struck on the inside part of his throwing arm by a blitzing Houston defender. This blow drove Hogeboom's arm up in an unnatural way, damaging the shoulder. Hogeboom was done for the season after suffering yet another inexplicable injury.
Jack Trudeau
would finish out the season as the starter, taking the Colts to their first playoff game since 1977. They lost their first playoff game against the Cleveland Browns
. After being tied with Browns for most of the game the 4th quarter proved to be their undoing, as they were outscored 17-7.
reality TV show Survivor: Guatemala
. Hogeboom kept his past a secret and even claimed his name was Gary Hawkins and was a landscaper, for fear that he would be eliminated right away if the other competitors realized he was a former NFL quarterback and assumed he was already wealthy. Unfortunately for him, his plan failed when another contestant who worked in sports radio (Danni Boatwright
) recognized him immediately. In fact, post-show interviews from other contestants revealed that they actually all knew his real identity as Gary Hogeboom and they didn't care because he was a strong, well-liked player. Hogeboom was eliminated on day 30, after saving himself from elimination by using the hidden immunity
idol at a previous tribal council; his elimination was unrelated to the issue of his true identity, simply coming down to the powerful alliance of Rafe, Steph, Cindy, Lydia and Judd voting off non-alliance members. After he was voted out, he confessed in his final words that his name was Gary Hogeboom and he was an ex-NFL quarterback. Hogeboom went down in Survivor history as the first person to ever find and play a hidden immunity idol at tribal council.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and a contestant on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
reality TV show Survivor: Guatemala
Survivor: Guatemala
Survivor: Guatemala — The Maya Empire, commonly referred to as Survivor: Guatemala, is the eleventh season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed in the Yaxhá-Nakúm-Naranjo National Park near the more popular Tikal National Park, located in...
.
Career
Hogeboom reached the spotlight playing for the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, Phoenix Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
after playing college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
and high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Northview High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. He played for ten seasons (1980–1989) and passed for 9,346 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 60 interceptions in his career, along with 164 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground. He also had career highs in 1989 with the Phoenix Cardinals with 2,591 yards passing, 14 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. His only appearance in the postseason was in the Cowboys' 1982 NFC title game against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. Filling in for the injured Danny White
Danny White
Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
, he threw for 162 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions, in Dallas's 31-17 loss. In 1987, as a member of the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, Hogeboom was one of the few regular players in the NFL who did not participate in that year's player strike. He took the field along with replacement player
Replacement player
In professional sports, a replacement player is an athlete who is not a member of the league's players association and plays during a labor dispute such as a strike or lockout.- National Football League – 1987 :...
s, who were recruited to continue the league's schedule during the strike. The Colts' victories in those games were crucial in securing their first playoff berth in ten years.
Dallas Cowboys
Hogeboom was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Cowboys in the 1980 NFL Draft
1980 NFL Draft
The 1980 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1980. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
and, by 1982, had moved past Glenn Carano
Glenn Carano
Glenn Thomas Carano is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys for seven seasons...
for the #2 quarterback spot behind Danny White
Danny White
Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
. He began to garner attention from Cowboys fans and players alike with his performance in the 1982 NFC title game. With the score 24-17 in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys were geared to start a drive to possibly tie the game when Hogeboom had a pass deflected at the line and intercepted by Darryl Grant
Darryl Grant
Darryl Baris Grant is a former professional American football player who played defensive tackle for eleven seasons for the Washington Redskins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He played college football at Rice University.Grant was drafted by the Redskins in the ninth...
, who returned it for the clinching touchdown. The Redskins had dominated the game up to that point, but Hogeboom's performance opened some eyes, including coach Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
's.
Prior to the 1983 season, the Cowboy players and fans began to lobby for Hogeboom to be the starting quarterback. Danny White
Danny White
Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
had led the team to three straight NFC title games after taking over for legend Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
, but couldn't get over the hump to a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. Also, the players felt that White had betrayed them because of his public support for the NFL team owners during the 1982 NFL players strike
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
. Furthermore, White was seen as quiet and standoffish, unlike the more vocal and personable Hogeboom. It also helped Hogeboom's cause being 6'4" and 200 pounds, bigger, and with a stronger arm than White.
White responded to the criticism by having his best statistical season ever in 1983 and leading the Cowboys to a 12-2 record going into a home matchup against the hated Redskins. However, the Cowboys were blown out 31-10 at home. The Redskins would go on to finish 14-2 and reach their second straight Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, while the Cowboys would be blown out 42-17 the next week by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
and lose the wildcard playoff game at home against the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. The rumblings for White to be benched got stronger as a result.
Landry responded by giving Hogeboom significantly more playing time in the 1984 pre-season and naming him his starter. Hogeboom started out well, throwing for 343 yards in a season opening win on Monday night on national TV against the Rams. However, in the next game against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...
sacked him four times and the Cowboys lost, 28-7. Despite the Cowboys 4-1 record, Landry went back to the more experienced White and Hogeboom never started another game for the Cowboy that year.
Indianapolis Colts
On April 28, 1986 Hogeboom was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for switching positions in the 2nd round of the 1986 NFL Draft1986 NFL Draft
The 1986 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1986...
. With Indianapolis's 2nd round pick, Dallas drafted Darryl Clack
Darryl Clack
Darryl Earl Clack is a former American football kick returner and wide receiver in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys for four years. He was inducted into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.-High school career:Clack, then known as "Mr...
of Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
. With Dallas's 2nd round pick, the Colts drafted Jack Trudeau
Jack Trudeau
Jack Francis Trudeau is a former professional American football player and current morning show co-host on Fox Sports Radio. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2nd round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'3",...
out of University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Mike Pagel
Mike Pagel
Mike John Pagel , was a former professional American football player who was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 4th round of the 1982 NFL Draft. A 6'2", . quarterback from Arizona State, Pagel played in 12 NFL seasons from 1982-1993...
had been the starter at quarterback, but he was then traded to the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for a 9th round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft
1987 NFL Draft
The 1987 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1987...
. With that pick the Colts drafted Bob Ontko from Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
who would go on to play in only three NFL games.
Excitement was high in Indianapolis at Hogeboom's arrival. The franchise had not seen quality QB play since the days of Bert Jones
Bert Jones
Bertram Hays "Bert" Jones is a former LSU and NFL quarterback who played for the then Baltimore Colts and, briefly, the Los Angeles Rams. At Ruston High School, he was given the nickname, "The Ruston Rifle"...
. It was thought that giving head coach Rod Dowhower
Rod Dowhower
-External links:...
something to work with would yield great results. Dowhower made his name as the QB coach with the St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) where he coaxed several quality seasons out of Neil Lomax
Neil Lomax
Neil Vincent Lomax is a former American football quarterback.-College career:Lomax was a standout college player at Portland State University, going from fifth-string freshman quarterback on partial scholarship to emergency starter to NCAA legend...
. Rookie Bill Brooks
Bill Brooks
William J. "Bill" Brooks is an American and former baseball and basketball coach who is best known for developing the University of North Carolina at Wilmington athletics program from a junior college to a Division I school. Brooks graduated with an AB from Atlantic Christian College in 1948...
was drafted in the 4th round out of Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
to provide an additional target for Hogeboom.
1986 Season
The Colts got off to a shaky start losing in New England 33-3. In game two vs the Miami Dolphins, the Colts lost both the game and Gary Hogeboom. Hogeboom was injured when he picked up an Albert BentleyAlbert Bentley
Albert Timothy Bentley is a former professional American football player who played running back for eight seasons for the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played in the USFL for the Michigan Panthers and the Oakland Invaders. He played high school football at Immokalee High...
fumble and took off down the sideline. At the end of a 50 yard run he was tackled by Dolphin's safety Lyle Blackwood
Lyle Blackwood
Lyle Vernon Blackwood played safety position in the National Football League and is best known for teaming alongside his brother, Glenn Blackwood with the Miami Dolphins as part of the notorious "Killer B's" defense...
. On the play Hogeboom had the opportunity to run safely out of bounds, but instead chose to try to run over the hard hitting safety. Blackwood physically picked Hogeboom up and drove him into the ground on his right (throwing) shoulder, causing a serious shoulder separation.
Then Colts General Manager Jim Irsay
Jim Irsay
James Irsay is the owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League.-Biography:...
had this to say of the tackle: "The way it looked on TV, it was a malicious tackle," "If that's the case, I think a player should be suspended. You're talking about knocking out a team's starting quarterback."
Blackwood was never punished and Hogeboom was assumed to be lost for the season.
Rookie Jack Trudeau
Jack Trudeau
Jack Francis Trudeau is a former professional American football player and current morning show co-host on Fox Sports Radio. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2nd round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'3",...
was handed the starting job and the team struggled through the season with thirteen straight losses. After the last loss, Head Coach Rod Dowhower was fired and former Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
and New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
coach Ron Meyer
Ron Meyer
-References:...
was brought in.
Although Meyer had been previously known as a tough disciplinarian, he seemed to have mellowed some and the team responded to him. Hogeboom surprised everyone by returning as starter for Meyer's first game as the Colts coach. They were matched against the Atlanta Falcons and were a heavy underdog. Hogeboom played a great game and the Colts won it in the end on a blocked punt.
Hogeboom and the Colts shocked the NFL by winning the last three games of their season to finish up at 3-13. Most had expected them to have the worst record in the NFL which would have positioned them to draft University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
star Vinny Testaverde
Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
with the first pick in the 1987 NFL Draft
1987 NFL Draft
The 1987 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1987...
. With those wins, they improved their record over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
who ended up with Testaverde. As it was, the Colts carried considerable optimism heading into the 1987 NFL season.
1987 season
With a potential player strike looming, the Colts started the 1987 season with two losses. At this point the NFL Players Association chose to call a work stoppage. Hogeboom was one of the handful of players who chose to cross the picket lines and come to work. At issue was specific language in Hogeboom's contract which potentially could have cost him all his remaining salary. Due to this, Hogeboom was forced to turn against his fellow players.The owners decided to field teams of replacement players to fulfill their obligation to the ticket holders and television networks. Hogeboom led the Colts replacement players to a 2-0 record before being injured in the second game. This injury was caused by veteran defensive end Marty Lyons
Marty Lyons
Martin Anthony Lyons is a former American Football defensive tackle who played his entire eleven year career from 1979 to 1989 with the New York Jets of the National Football League...
flagrant spearing of Hogeboom on a QB sneak play, breaking a rib in his back and puncturing a lung. This was the second time in two seasons that Hogeboom was injured by the purposeful actions of an opponent. Despite this, Hogeboom was starting to get a reputation for being injury prone. The Colts lost the last strike game without their starting QB.
After the strike the Colts again started Jack Trudeau
Jack Trudeau
Jack Francis Trudeau is a former professional American football player and current morning show co-host on Fox Sports Radio. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2nd round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'3",...
at QB. They started out with a win against New England. During the following week, the Colts made a blockbuster trade to get star running back Eric Dickerson
Eric Dickerson
Eric Demetric Dickerson is a former professional running back in the National Football League who in his career played for the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons.-College career:...
. This was a critical move and told the Colts fans that the team was serious about winning.
Trudeau went on to start the first four games after the strike, winning two and losing two. Since Hogeboom's injury had healed, he was re-inserted as the starter at QB. The Colts then beat Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
and the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
only to lose to the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. In the next game Hogeboom led the Colts to a rousing home win versus the Houston Oilers. However, Hogeboom was to again be injured in this game.
On a 22 yard touchdown pass to Albert Bentley
Albert Bentley
Albert Timothy Bentley is a former professional American football player who played running back for eight seasons for the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played in the USFL for the Michigan Panthers and the Oakland Invaders. He played high school football at Immokalee High...
, Hogeboom was struck on the inside part of his throwing arm by a blitzing Houston defender. This blow drove Hogeboom's arm up in an unnatural way, damaging the shoulder. Hogeboom was done for the season after suffering yet another inexplicable injury.
Jack Trudeau
Jack Trudeau
Jack Francis Trudeau is a former professional American football player and current morning show co-host on Fox Sports Radio. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2nd round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'3",...
would finish out the season as the starter, taking the Colts to their first playoff game since 1977. They lost their first playoff game against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After being tied with Browns for most of the game the 4th quarter proved to be their undoing, as they were outscored 17-7.
Survivor: Guatemala
In 2005, Hogeboom was a contestant on the CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
reality TV show Survivor: Guatemala
Survivor: Guatemala
Survivor: Guatemala — The Maya Empire, commonly referred to as Survivor: Guatemala, is the eleventh season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed in the Yaxhá-Nakúm-Naranjo National Park near the more popular Tikal National Park, located in...
. Hogeboom kept his past a secret and even claimed his name was Gary Hawkins and was a landscaper, for fear that he would be eliminated right away if the other competitors realized he was a former NFL quarterback and assumed he was already wealthy. Unfortunately for him, his plan failed when another contestant who worked in sports radio (Danni Boatwright
Danni Boatwright
Danni Boatwright , a beauty queen and model from Kansas, won $1,000,000 on Survivor: Guatemala, the eleventh season of the reality television show Survivor...
) recognized him immediately. In fact, post-show interviews from other contestants revealed that they actually all knew his real identity as Gary Hogeboom and they didn't care because he was a strong, well-liked player. Hogeboom was eliminated on day 30, after saving himself from elimination by using the hidden immunity
Immunity (reality television)
Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...
idol at a previous tribal council; his elimination was unrelated to the issue of his true identity, simply coming down to the powerful alliance of Rafe, Steph, Cindy, Lydia and Judd voting off non-alliance members. After he was voted out, he confessed in his final words that his name was Gary Hogeboom and he was an ex-NFL quarterback. Hogeboom went down in Survivor history as the first person to ever find and play a hidden immunity idol at tribal council.