Impact Of A Scholarship: Scott Hochstadt

Scott Hochstadt is going to outwork you. 

The former University of Maryland lacrosse star won’t work with those who’re cocky or arrogant — that doesn’t fit his core values. But if you have a blue-collar mentality, a formidable work ethic and a humble mindset, Hochstadt is glad to work with you. 

Hochstadt is the CEO and founder of Legends, an athletic apparel brand that has skyrocketed in popularity since he co-founded it in 2019. Its partners include professional athletes and hip-hop stars like Baker Mayfield, Quavo, Steve Nash and Larry Nance Jr.

“You don’t have to be a Lebron James,” Hochstadt said. “If you move the needle for the brand and we see eye-to-eye in life, that’s how we build our movement and our network.”

But Hochstadt says he wouldn't be where he is today without the academic support from the University of Maryland. The mindset that allowed him to succeed in his professional career was also evident in lacrosse. 

Hochstadt is a Maryland man. He grew up 30 minutes from the university’s campus in Columbia. His father, Ira, also played lacrosse at Maryland and was a Third Team All-American in 1971. Scott says Ira got him into the sport at an early age. His mother and brother are also alums of Maryland. 

The recruiting process was slightly different for Scott, who originally wanted to attend North Carolina or Virginia in high school. He got the chance, and both schools heavily recruited him as one of the top attackers. However, injuries and academic struggles caused the two schools to drop him. 

Even though it may not have been his original plan, Maryland gave Hochstadt an opportunity of a lifetime. 

“I’ve been Maryland through and through for as long as I can remember,” Hochstadt said. “As a kid, I went to football games and watched Len Bias play at Cole Field House. It felt like fate that I ended up there.”

Hochstadt was an attacker at Maryland from 1995-99, but he wasn’t a scholarship athlete when he began classes his freshman year. He was a walk-on, coming off shoulder surgery that caused him to miss all of fall ball. 

He served as a ball boy that fall but was cleared for contact sports in November of 1995 and declined the option to redshirt in the spring. 

From there, Hochstadt outworked everyone, earned a starting spot in the middle of his freshman season, and never looked back. He ranks in the top 10 in multiple program records, including No. 26 all-time in career points (153) and No. 10 in all-time goals (121). He’s also one of eight players in program history to score seven or more goals in a game (seven against Virginia in 1998). 

Hochstadt was the 1998 ACC Tournament MVP, a three-time U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association All-American, a four-time All-ACC selection and a member of the 1997 and 1998 NCAA Tournament runner-up teams. He says winning MVP of the ACC Tournament in 1998 was one of his favorite moments from his playing career.

“Being named MVP was really cool and special for me and my family,” he said. “It was a memory I’ll never forget, in the rain, done at Klöckner Stadium at Virginia. I always had good games against UVA because I was dropped by them. I was like, ‘I’m going to let them pay for that one.’”

Due to his success on the field, Hochstadt received a scholarship during his junior year. Everything was paid for during his junior, senior and fifth year when he helped coach the team before being drafted by the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) in 1999. 

“Having a scholarship gave me a sense of confidence, knowing that the program and university were invested in me,” Hochstadt said. “They do it because they believe in the value of helping their student athletes. My family and I are incredibly grateful for that support.”

He continued. “If it weren’t for the academic support I received at Maryland, I wouldn’t have made it through. I had multiple learning disabilities, but they enrolled me in a special program that provided the guidance and resources I needed to succeed.”

Hochstadt struggled with reading comprehension and dyslexia. He was diagnosed with ADHD, but the school helped him with on-time tests and extra tutoring in the classroom. 

“They gave me guidance, the ability to be who I am today,” he added. 

The university helped Hochstadt expand his art skills, something he had always loved as a kid. Scott says Ira worked for Champion for 17 years, designing graphics and shoes to present to the brand's owner as a kid. He’s been an artist his whole life. 

Art was Hochstadt's escape from the subjects he struggled with. Although he hated math as a child, he always loved to draw. Professor Jim Thorpe pushed Hochstadt in college and helped him understand the marketing process. He passed away in 2021. 

“I emailed him five years ago, thanking him for everything he did for me with my senior project that allowed me to graduate college and finish up while playing professional lacrosse,” Hochstadt said. “My senior project was my first business, and he guided me through the branding and marketing process, including the purpose and creative aspects, so I owe everything to the Art Department.”

That first business was Adrenaline Lacrosse, which Hochstadt started because he was feeling cold — literally. Since the NLL season was in the winter, he needed to go west and get some sun. 

He packed his car and drove to California. Once he arrived, he noticed that lacrosse was almost nonexistent in the state.

“I felt like people looked at lacrosse as more of a preppy East Coast sport, so I wanted to rebrand it, use different cuts, different jerseys, different colors to attract a big athlete like a football player or a soccer player, to try out lacrosse and make it cooler and fun,” Hochstadt said. 

He saw an opportunity to grow a business and took it. He used his senior project as a roadmap, putting his logo on shirts and planting seeds for other lacrosse companies. 

“I was traveling seven days a week, spreading the game, having sticks donated to schools, doing gym class demonstrations to grow the game,” Hochstadt said. 

Now, Adrenaline Lacrosse is the leading organizer of lacrosse events on the West Coast. Hochstadt kept building one day at a time. 

In 2019, Hochstadt and Quavo launched a celebrity basketball game that brought multiple hip-hop artists and athletes to the court for a charity event benefiting the Mamba Foundation. Snoop Dogg, Floyd Mayweather, Machine Gun Kelly and Terrell Owens participated in the event, which kicked off the brand. 

Now, Legends is launching women’s and children's apparel, and the brand partners with teams from the NFL, NBA and MLB. 

Hochstadt maintains a strong relationship current Maryland men's lacrosse coach John Tillman. He's routinely spoke to the team, sharing his experiences and allotting inspiration. He even says he will return to College Park for Maryland lacrosse’s spring game against Johns Hopkins. He wants everyone who wants to get into the marketing business to know that nothing will be handed to them. 

“Now, as a business owner, I have the privilege of returning to Maryland and giving back in meaningful ways to the next generation of students and lacrosse players,” he said. “Sharing my experiences, offering support and contributing to their journey both on and off the field and in and out of the classroom is incredibly rewarding. I value the opportunity to stay connected with Coach Tillman and his staff and members of the art department to explore ways to stay engaged and make a lasting impact.”