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CLAYTON — The seventh-grade social studies classes at Northmont Middle School just ended their segment on the Renaissance Period with a big test Friday, April 25.

"Next we're doing Exploration," said teacher Kevin Hoyng. "We'll study explorers like Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama, Magellan, Christopher Columbus."

But if those kids really want a lesson in exploration, they ought to check out their teacher and the new territory he should be visiting by the end of this weekend.

He's not attempting to make his way around the tip of Africa or discover the New World; he's trying to find passage to the NFL. After this weekend's draft — where he won't be picked — he'll likely be offered free-agent contracts by some pro teams.

While he's a classroom novice — he took over as a long-term sub three weeks ago — he's a prominent name in the University of Dayton football record books.

The MVP of the Pioneer Football League last season after quarterbacking the Flyers to an 11-1 record, Hoyng — who graduated with a teaching degree — is UD's all-time leader in almost every passing category.

But just as Magellan switched flags in mid-career — sailing first for Portugal, then Spain — Hoyng is jumping from quarterback to free safety in hopes of making the NFL.

It's not a common path, but its been done by noted NFL safeties John Lynch and Brian Russell.

And for this voyage, Hoyng has a navigator in Ron Todd — the massive former football lineman and current real-estate and mortgage broker — who has worked the past 14 years as an agent for often overlooked athletes.

From Central State's Hugh Douglas, the New York Jets' top pick in 1995, to former Ohio State quarterback Steve Bellisari, now with the Arena Football League's New Orleans VooDoo, Todd has negotiated over 50 NFL contracts, as well as several with the indoor leagues, the Canadian Football League, NFL Europe and pro baseball.

A few years back, USA Today dubbed Todd "The Agent of the Sleeper," and that's what Hoyng was after he left UD. Although he still harbored an NFL dream, he had no idea how to chase it.

"UD hasn't had a guy play pro football in about 30 years — they become high school coaches, doctors, engineers," said Todd. "But I've been intrigued by Kevin since he was playing at Coldwater High. So I called him up. We met, and the more time I spent with him, the more I believed he really has a chance."

Because Hoyng's just 6 feet and didn't play in a pro pipeline, Todd feared teams would bypass him and suggested the free safety switch.

And so for the past three months, Hoyng has been following his days in the classroom with regular workouts in the UD weight room and with Flyers defensive backs coach James Stanley.

Meanwhile the Sleeper Agent tried waking people up on a player he touts as "extremely athletic, a fast learner, tough and with no baggage." Todd took his uninvited charge to the NFL Scouting Combine, introducing him to everyone from Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis to Tampa Bay's Jon Gruden, himself an old Flyers quarterback.

Todd arranged private workouts with the Bengals and New York Giants, and got Hoyng showcased at Bowling Green's Pro Day. Recently, NFLDraftScout.com rated him 46th of 134 draft-eligible free safeties.

"Without Ron, none of this would have been possible," Hoyng said. "It'll be awesome if I get the chance to live my childhood dream, but if the NFL doesn't work out, it won't be the end of the world. Sure I'd be disappointed, but I love the classroom, and one day I want to be a high school coach. There's nothing to be ashamed of being a teacher."

Especially one who's also been a real-life explorer.

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