Augustana College Athletics

When Bob Reade was building his Augustana gridiron juggernaut during the early 1980’s, he utilized several players who had starred for his powerhouse teams at J.D. Darnall High School in Geneseo, Illinois. None more so than quarterback Lance Hofer, who transferred in from the University of Illinois in 1981. Despite playing just two seasons in the Blue & Gold, Hofer’s accomplishments and his role in helping build the most successful college football program of the decade have earned him a spot in the Tribe of Vikings Hall of Fame.
 
Hofer was a member of Reade’s final three teams at Geneseo, all of which claimed IHSA Class 3A state championships. The Maple Leafs posted a 38-1 record during those three seasons, the last two with Hofer under center. A versatile performer, he also played safety, kicked and returned kicks. He missed a good chunk of his senior season after breaking his thumb in the third game of the year, but junior Jay Penney filled in and kept the Green Machine rolling. Hofer returned to throw two touchdown passes in a state semifinal win over Sycamore and his 18-yard touchdown run provided the margin of victory in a 14-7 title game win over Kankakee Bishop McNamara.
 
In 1979, as Reade accepted a new challenge in taking the head coaching position at Augustana, Hofer and Geneseo teammate Norm Singbush headed off to the University of Illinois. While Reade’s first two Viking squads were each going 6-3, Hofer was working his way into a backup role behind record-setting Illini gunslinger Dave Wilson. After throwing for one touchdown and rushing for another during the 1980 season, Hofer decided to reconnect with his high school coach at Augustana in 1981.
 
Early in the year, Hofer split time with Penney—who was the Vikings’ returning starter—but gradually established himself as Reade’s main signal caller as the team rolled to the program’s first undefeated regular since 1934. He threw for one touchdown and ran for another in a 35-7 win over sixth-ranked Carthage early in the year and passed for two scores and rushed for one as the Vikings took sole possession of the CCIW lead with a 35-8 win over fifth-rated Elmhurst in game seven. Hofer was also named Player of the Game in a 31-0 win over Millikin that was regionally televised by ABC live from Ericson Field. He earned All-CCIW honorable mention after passing for 495 yards and nine touchdowns against just two interceptions and rushing for an additional eight scores.
 
With a 9-0 record and a number-four national ranking, Augustana headed to Dayton, Ohio to face the second-ranked and defending national champion Flyers at Welcome Field. Unfortunately, NCAA rules at the time deemed Hofer—due to his transfer—ineligible for the postseason. Dayton prevailed 19-7.
 
Hofer had the starting spot all to himself as a senior, with Penney moving to split end and finishing as a team’s third-leading receiver. Hofer’s favorite target in 1982 was another high school teammate—Singbush—who had also transferred in from Illinois.
 
The Viking quarterback and co-captain guided Augustana to another 9-0 regular season and playoff wins at top-ranked Baldwin-Wallace (28-22) and over sixth-rated St. Lawrence (14-0) at home to reach the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Phenix City, Alabama. The Vikings fell 14-0 to West Georgia in the title game, but the groundwork had been laid that would lead to national championships each of the next four years. Hofer finished the year with 527 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing and completed 56 percent of his passes for 945 yards while matching the previous year’s 9-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
 
The CCIW’s Offensive Player of the Year and a Pizza Hut All-American in 1982, Hofer finished with a 20-1 career record at Augustana and still owns the highest career pass efficiency rating in school history at 150.2. Despite playing just two seasons, his 23 rushing touchdowns and 41 TDs responsible for both ranked third in school history at the time of his graduation. His 18 touchdown passes were fourth all-time. 36 years later, those figures still rank 13th, eighth and ninth, respectively.
 
A business and accounting major at Augustana, where he also played basketball, Lance graduated in 1983 and went on to earn his MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. His wife, Dr. Jill Foster, is also an Augustana graduate. They have two children—Lauren and Llwyatt—and reside in Powell, Ohio.