Carolina Panthers Hoover went
undrafted in the
2000 NFL draft; he was later signed as a
free agent by the
Carolina Panthers. After a foot injury sidelined starting running back
Tshimanga Biakabutuka, Hoover got two starts at tailback, including a
Monday Night Football game against the
Green Bay Packers where he became only the second rookie in team history to post a 100-yard game (
Fred Lane was the first). After switching to fullback for his second season, he became the full-time starter in
2002. He caught two passes for touchdowns that season, the first touchdown receptions of his career. During the Panthers run to
Super Bowl XXXVIII, he was the primary blocker for
Stephen Davis, allowing Davis to rush for a team record 1,444 yards.
2004 saw Hoover miss the first game of his career due to injury, as he sat out several games with an injured hip. However, he still managed to contribute on offense, catching two touchdown passes and rushing for 246 yards. On March 8, 2010, Hoover was released by the Panthers. ==After football==