AL boy gets 85% from UCLA

Hoffman, Lepley snag top honors on Birmingham News 2008 All-State Soccer Teams
Posted by JEFF SENTEL / News Staff Writer July 08, 2008 11:27 AM

Oak Mountain striker Chandler Hoffman, who got twice as many votes as any other player in the state for the 2008 Birmingham News Soccer Player of the Year Award, made an oral commitment to play soccer at UCLA last week.

Advocates of the rising senior believe he brings his own brand of Earvin Johnson's "Showtime" to the field.

"The traditional thought is there has been a failing in the American game to develop the player who has a bit of magic around the goal," Indian Springs coach Rik Tozzi said. "Chandler combines very strong skill with the unusual asset of a natural left foot with a bit of magic around the goal."
Voncille Williams / News StaffOak Mountain's Chandler Hoffman


He chose the Bruins over offers from Maryland and Wake Forest. Hoffman said their offer was approximately 85 percent of a full scholarship. That's an astounding figure for a soccer player, especially one from Alabama.

"I wanted to go somewhere with big-time athletics all around," he said. "That's what the schools I considered had. The UCLA campus is incredible. Their Hall of Fame has like 103 national championship trophies across all sports. That and talking to their players made UCLA seem like the place I wanted to be."

His UCLA status is an underdog story. Or at least one of progress.

"Coming from Alabama is in some way hindering," said Hoffman, who was one of three all-state selections from Oak Mountain. "These three programs I was looking at were schools where nobody from Alabama has ever gone there to play."

Hoffman scored 34 goals and chipped in 11 assists to lead his team to a repeat state title.