Biography

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Merril Hoge played in the NFL for eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears, and he was also a football analyst for ESPN for 21 years.

Merril Hoge is an inspirational speaker who speaks nationwide, impacting people and companies to grow through self-reflection and taking action to Find Their Way.

He is also on the board of the Chuck Noll Foundation for Brain Injury Research and a member of the NFL Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee.

In 2018, Hoge helped launch Your Call Football and is the author of Find a Way: Three Words that Changed My Life and Brainwashed: The Bad Science Behind CTE and the Plot to Destroy Football.

Merril Hoge continues to find new ways to make a positive impact with his mind, heart, and energy. Whether that be through his educational work, advocacy, or motivational engagements, he is a force for positive change and inspiration.

He lives in Fort Thomas, Kentucky.

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Videos

Powerful Ways to Overcome Life's Toughest Challenges with Merril Hoge

Merril Hoge - Find A Way Speaking

We are what we repeatedly do.

Leadership

Merril Hoge on being rewarded by growth

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Speech TopicsExpand each topic to learn more

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!

Testimonials

Very few speakers can both captivate and relate to business audiences like merril does with his story of inspiration and courage.
– Transformation Marketing
He was extremely engaging with the audience. He delivered a message that was directly related to the theme of the meeting and was extremely professional, positive, and an excellent presenter. Overall, I would definitely recommend him to my peers in other areas of the business.
– Verizon Wireless
He was awesome. Genuine nice guy, and everyone loved his message. I got tremendous feedback on him, with many saying he was one of our best speakers ever. I would recommend him to any and everyone.
– Crawford and Company
I wanted to say thank you for today I have had so many colleagues text or e-mail saying thank you and how much they needed that whether personal or professional battles! I know Tami speaking to you at the end with her battle will be a memory she will never forget! Really Awesome and Thanks again!
– PayPal
Merril delivered as expected. His talk was a highlight of the event and made our event memorable.
– Jim, Equifax
It was fantastic! Merril’s message was incredible and many guests told me it was the best message they’ve heard from attending many of our Annual Meetings. He was personable with our guests and took time to engage in conversation with anyone interested in talking with him. Thank you so much!
– Yvette Lynch, YMCA Harrisburg

Booksby Merril Hoge

Find a Way: Three Words that Changed My Life

Brainwashed: The Bad Science Behind CTE and the Plot to Destroy Football

Blog Posts

Why Relatable Leaders Build Stronger Teams (And How You Can Become One)

Discover engagement strategies fom expert Rachel DeAlto on how leaders can become more relatable and transform their workforce for the better.

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Why Top Event Planners Are Booking Storytellers (You Should Too)

Discover why storytellers create lasting impact at events through wonder, not just applause—transform your audience experience today.

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AI Networking Strategies That Actually Work in 2025 with Marketing Legend Seth Godin

Learn AI networking secrets from marketing expert Seth Godin on building peer circles that outperform traditional expert models.

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Negotiation Questions Every Event Professional Should Ask Before Walking Into Any Deal

Master negotiation questions with keynote speaker Alexandra Carter that transform anxiety into confidence whenever you're seeking better deals.

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Limits Become Leverage When You Change Your Story with Torsten Gross

Transform your limits into leverage with insights from quadriplegic race car driver Torsten Gross on resilience and redefining possible.

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Change That Sticks Beyond the Stage

Change keynote speakers who transform stage inspiration into lasting transformation through clear processes and sustainable habits.

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