Maxen Hook is a junior safety and a two-time All-MAC honoree, earning first-team honors in 2022. He missed three games this season due to injury but came back with a bang on Sept. 30, totaling five tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in a 35-33 win over Northern Illinois. A native of New Palestine, Indiana, Hook is on pace to receive his bachelor's degree in accounting in December.
 
On returning to the lineup following an early-season injury
It felt really good. I had to miss a few games but if I'm not at least 90% then I'm putting the team at a liability. The doctors finally cleared me to play for the Northern Illinois game so I was super excited to be out there with my guys. On the sidelines, I was doing everything I could do to help them win but I was itching to be out there.
 
On the anxiety of having to watch from the sidelines 
On the sidelines, I don't have any control of what's going on. It's funny, you'd think being out there on the field at the end of the game would be more nerve-racking. But at the end of the day it's not because I know my job and my role, so everything just calms down. When you don't have a say in what happens, it's more nerve-racking because all you can do is watch.
 
On how he got his start playing football
I started playing tackle football when I was in first grade. We had a great youth program and I was really lucky to have such great coaches growing up. My high school coach was a big weight-room guy, so we did a lot of the things that I needed coming into college, things I didn't realize that a lot of people didn't have. I didn't realize how prepared my high school team had made me compared to other teams and kids. A big props to my coaches growing up and to my parents who just showed me how to work hard and to only worry about what you can control and good things will come.
 
On growing up in Indiana
I'm from New Palestine, Indiana. It wasn't a huge school, about mid-size. It's 25 minutes outside of Indianapolis. We were a 4A school. In Indiana it goes up to 6A with 6A being the largest. We had around 1,200 students in the whole school. My front yard is a corn field. It's Indiana, it's all corn fields.
 
On choosing football over basketball
I played football, basketball and baseball growing up. Basketball was a big part of growing up. I played a ton of basketball growing up, but I always loved football the most. I didn't like baseball very much so I stopped playing that. When I got to high school, I really focused on football but I still played basketball until my junior year. We made it to semis in the state championship. We ended up losing to Dawand Jones, who is a tackle for the Browns now. I graduated early so I skipped out on my senior year of basketball to come play football here early. My school wasn't a football school until my new high school coach (Kyle Ralph) came in and switched the program around. We hadn't had anyone go to a Division I college in over 30 years, and then me and my two buddies were the first three to go to Division I schools. Now they are producing D-I kids all the time.
 
On learning his work ethic from his parents
My mom worked in a foundry growing up. She worked the third shift. My dad owns his own landscaping business. They are just two really hard-working people. I always learned that you have to work hard for what you want, and that nothing in life is just given to you. I think they programmed a strong work ethic into me. Then I came into a high school football program with a coach who is telling me the same thing. I think it just got hard-wired into my brain that if I want to be something, and want to be good at it, then it's going to take countless hours, hard work and determination.
 
On his academics
I'm taking three classes right now. I'm graduating with my bachelor's degree this December, then hopefully I will pursue a master's degree.
 
On his goal of playing in the NFL
I remember in the second grade we did the assignment where they ask what you want to be when you grow up. I put down "NFL player." For me, it really has always been an attainable dream. I don't know why it couldn't be. There have been plenty of people along the way that have thought it's crazy or that it could never happen. I think football is just something that comes down to how long can you outlast other people. It's kind of like a funnel, from high school to college, from college to the pros. How long can you keep putting in the work? If you can keep improving, there is no reason you can't get to the pinnacle of football. For me, the NFL is about the respect and seeing that I've been able to get to the highest level of football. This is a game I've put so much time and effort into so I want to be able to play at the highest level with the best players.
 
On the Toledo coaching staff
The coaches have been nothing but amazing. I got really lucky that the coaches have been here the whole time since I got here. One of my best friends is Coach (Ross) Watson. I talk to him every day. VK (Vince Kehres) came in my right when I got here so he didn't know me, he didn't recruit me, but we've worked really well together. The fact that Coach Candle is still here is crazy too. We've had mostly of the same coaches this whole time, which is very rare, especially for the MAC. It's been a blessing.
 
On his overall experience at Toledo
It's crazy to think back to being a high school kid, not having any idea where I was going, and then making the decision to come here. I didn't know what it was going to be like. No one really has any idea. All I could do was put my head down and work hard and trust in my coaches. That's what I've done. I've had the best of times here and made the best of friends. I'm very thankful for the university and everything the coaches have poured into me because I don't think I would be where I am without these guys.