By Matt Crownover
Chronicle staff

     In his role as one of three Okanogan County commissioners, one of Don “Bud” Hover’s main responsibilities is to help represent Okanogan County.
     For two years after graduating from college, Hover helped represent something a little bigger - the nation’s capital.
     Hover spent two years as a member of the National Football League’s Washington Redskins.
     Drafted in the eighth round (219th overall) of the 1978 NFL draft, Hover suited up for two years as an inside linebacker for the ‘Skins.
     Hover said he realized his love for the game much earlier. Hover, 53, was born in Seattle and reared in Issaquah, and played strong safety at Issaquah High School.
     His talent earned him a full scholarship to play football at Washington State University.
     During his first season at WSU in 1973, Hover was the only freshman to make the varsity squad in the first year underclassmen were allowed to play on varsity.
     In his sophomore year, Hover earned a starting outside linebacker spot and his 126 tackles cracked the top five in school history. His 281 career tackles rank 11th all-time at WSU.
     Hover switched from outside to inside linebacker his senior year. He was named to the All Pac-8 second team and was honored with the Laurie Niemi award, given to the senior exhibiting spirit, courage and a positive attitude.
     Hover said he saw playing time mostly on the special teams unit during his rookie campaign with Washington. But during his second year, he won the starting inside linebacker job and started the first eight games of the season.
     His moment of glory came in a 17-7 win at the St. Louis Cardinals Sept. 23, 1979. In that game he scored his one and only touchdown.
     “The ball was fumbled and eventually kicked around into the end zone and I was able to fall on it for six points,” Hover said.
     After the Redskins released him prior to the 1980 season, Hover joined the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League and finished out his career.
     After that, Hover said he knew he could still play, and the opportunities came knocking.
     A good friend of his, former WSU All-American quarterback Jack Thompson, arranged a tryout for him with the Cincinnati Bengals. Hover declined.
     “I had opportunities to keep playing football but I had two kids at the time and wasn’t interested in beating my head against a wall any longer,” Hover said, referring to the physical toll that comes with football.
     Nowadays, Hover’s focus is on Okanogan County. He represents District No. 2, which covers the western portion of the county, including the Methow Valley and up the Okanogan Valley to most of Okanogan.
     He said he finds a correlation between his NFL days and his current role as a county commissioner.
     “The thing about playing football at that level is that you have to be very disciplined and have to be self-motivated and be able to work well with other people,” Hover said. “As a commissioner, you’re basically self-employed, which means you have to excel without having someone pushing you to succeed.”
     During his playing days, Hover said he was fortunate to have people pushing him to succeed, defensive coaches Jim Norton and George Dixon in particular. Both Norton and Dixon played under Vince Lombardi, who was known for his hard-nosed ways.
     “I had a lot of Vince Lombardi stuffed down my throat and that taught me a lot about being disciplined,” Hover said. “I appreciate the fact that I was able to play under those guys because the experience I gained has helped carry me through my life.”
     Hover said he stays in shape by working on his hay farm in Winthrop, and running and lifting weights. He said he’s forever grateful for the positive way in which pigskin has affected his life.
     “The things I learned in football all the way through high school to the NFL have given me the discipline and self-confidence to be able to do anything I want,” he said.