He attended high school in Edwardsville, lettering in football, baseball, and track.
He received a scholarship to Wichita State, where he played for two years as a fullback and defensive end.
A tryout in the Canadian Football League (CFL) was unsuccessful, however in the spring of 1969, he was drafted by the 49ers.
However, playing on special teams in the 1971 NFC divisional playoff against the Washington Redskins, he recovered a mis-snapped ball in the end zone, in what proved to be the winning touchdown.
In 1974, in the midst of his career, Hoskins was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease and underwent treatment.