After injury derails football career, former NIU lineman Drew Hoth finds new calling in elementary classroom

DeKALB – When August 2024 rolled around, Drew Hoth found himself in an unfamiliar position.

For the first time he could remember, he was not playing football.

Fortunately for the Cedar Falls, Iowa, native and former NIU offensive lineman, he found something else fulfilling in his student teaching at Jefferson Elementary in DeKalb.

“It helped soften the blow knowing I really enjoy what I’m going to do next,” Hoth said. “I never really had any other passion outside of football, so I really didn’t have any idea what I wanted to do. I didn’t have an interest in business or being a salesman. The medical field didn’t interest me.”

Education, however, always interested him. He said it started when he would help at his mother, Lynn Hoth’s, at-home daycare center. That helped him discover how much he enjoyed working with children.

When he came to NIU, he majored in education and worked toward his degree, as he also played for the Huskies. After not playing in 2021 and 2022, he played in nine games in 2023 and started four for the Huskies, earning a spot on the Mid-American Conference Academic All-Conference Team.

Before the 2023 season, he tore his labrum and played hurt through the season. He came back in time for summer workouts but re-aggravated the injury.

“I learned I can bring something to the table different from a lot of other teachers on my path. Not a lot of men go into elementary education.”

—  Drew Hoth

At that point, he decided to medically retire. He focused on earning his degree, which he’s on track to earn this May. He knew that Mitchell Elementary was scheduled to open in the fall, and there would be job opportunities for him in DeKalb.

“I was at the point where I was a senior academically, and I knew football was going to be over at some point anyway,” Hoth said. “I was ready to move on to the next page of life. I knew DeKalb was having a new elementary school opening up. So I knew there were going to be a lot of job opportunities.”

A lot of athletes who go into education tend to go the physical education route, and there are not exactly a lot of male elementary classroom teachers. Hoth said he considered focusing on physical education but decided against it.

He said he’s more about being able to build a solid relationship with students in his class.

“I definitely thought about it because a lot of stuff came more naturally with gym,” Hoth said. “Playing sports my whole life, I’ve played football and basketball and baseball. I was thinking about that, but I liked the idea of working with just the class, the 20, 25 kids you have in your classroom, and building those relationships, making it a lot more meaningful that way.”

When District 428 returned to school after winter break, Hoth said he’s mostly doing everything on his own with his class of fourth graders at Jefferson.

He also interviewed for a job at Mitchell and got it. He’ll be a fifth-grade teacher when the school opens in the fall.

Hoth said he hopes to be a positive role model.

“The kids have a lot of questions about it,” Hoth said. “I learned I can bring something to the table different from a lot of other teachers on my path. Not a lot of men go into elementary education. I think they said I was the first one in a very long time to go into elementary education.”

Maurice McDavid, principal at Mitchell, said having a male elementary teacher, especially one as good as Hoth, is a great thing.

“I recognize as a male elementary principal, and I was an elementary education major, that is something that’s rare,” McDavid said. “When we get an opportunity to work with a male educator, particularly one of his quality ... you’re excited about that.”

McDavid said another positive element he brings to the table is being a former NCAA Division I athlete. Hoth is 6-foot-4 and, at his playing weight, was 318 pounds.

“He walks into the room at 6-5 or whatever,” McDavid said. “I talked to some of the boys who will be fifth graders next year, and they’re really excited to talk to a former D-I athlete and see what they can learn.”

Hoth said he missed playing football this year. He said he’s not exactly sure when he started playing at the lower levels, but tackle football has been a part of his life since the fifth grade.

He said he’s looking forward to the next chapter.

“I wanted to be a good role model for the kids,” Hoth said. “Not every kid has a positive male role model at home. I wanted to provide that for them.”