For many students on campus, Justin Hoffman is living the dream many thought was never possible. Hoffman, a junior wide receiver for the Ducks, walked on to the Oregon football team three years ago and eventually earned a scholarship last spring. Head coach Chip Kelly has called Hoffman a “huge success story,” and he couldn’t have been more accurate. The Oregon Daily Emerald caught up with Hoffman, a 2008 Churchill High School grad, earlier this week to chat about the first experiences of life as a walk-on, and what he’s been up to outside of football these days.
ODE: I know this is something you’ve been asked a lot about, but being a local guy, being a walk-on, I’m curious what that process was like. When did you know you were going to walk on at Oregon?
JH: Well, actually this was the last place I wanted to go to. I wanted to get out of Eugene, I’ve been here my whole life. But the opportunity just came up and I figured, why not? It’s a D-I school and I wasn’t getting heavily recruited so I figured just take a shot at it and see what happens. As far as earning the scholarship and stuff, I tried not to think about it, really. I knew it was going to be a long road so I took it a day at a time. With football, you have to stay healthy. That’s the main thing.
When during your senior year did you decide this was the move you’d make?
It was actually a week after the official signing day. I was looking at Western Oregon and a couple other smaller schools, and I sent film here just for fun. They called me up and were like “Want to come walk on in the summer?” And I said, “Why not?” I didn’t have any other choices.@@Double quotes in a Q and A?@@
How was the transition from playing Midwestern League high school football, to playing major Division I football?
Definitely a lot different. Especially Oregon football, it’s different than where a lot of these kids come from. It’s definitely the speed, of course. Getting to know the offense, it’s so fast-paced that you have to know it on a different level. Not just knowing it in the books — once you get out there it’s totally different.
Once you earned a scholarship last spring, what was the reaction like from your friends and family?
My dad was pretty happy, because they were the ones helping me out with school. He kind of just came up to me and shook my hand and said good job. My mom was, of course, ecstatic. Lot of support, definitely being from Eugene and stuff, everyone was very happy for me. It was pretty nice.
I know you were a baseball guy in high school also. If you were going to play another sport in college, what would it have been?
It would’ve been baseball. I was a catcher and I played Legion @@legion?@@ball with the (Eugene) Challengers, and that kind of was the decided factor. We had like 60 games in the summer. I was like, that’s enough. With football you get a good break from it. You have your season, you have your training and then you have spring ball. You have good breaks and you have time to get your body back. Baseball is just all the time.
You’ve grown out the hair a little bit longer this year. Going for the Jeff Maehl look at all?
(Laughs). I say it’s the ‘me’ look, you know. I’m from Eugene, so it’s not too surprising I’ve got long hair I guess.
What’s on the iPod this week to get ready for Missouri State?
I’m kind of all over the place actually. I like oldies, oldies rock. I’ll listen to classical on game days. Lot of country. Not too much hip-hop, I guess, some every once and a while, depending on what the mood is. I’m really all over the place. @@The man likes his country@@