Nick Hill: On The Grind

Sept. 3, 2014

By Tyler Galloway, MSU Athletic Communications Staff Assistant

When Nick Hill arrived on the Michigan State campus in 2010, he didn't receive the typical freshman orientation like most incoming students. Instead, as an early enrollee, he moved in on a Sunday in early January and was up at 7 a.m. for a football team meeting the following Monday.

"I came in early with Max Bullough, Joe Boisture, and Le'Veon Bell, and we were thrown right into the fire," said Hill, a fifth-year senior for MSU. "So I had to adjust to managing a lot more free time compared to high school and making sure I was studying and going to class on top of football."

As a redshirt in 2010, Hill was able to use that time to improve his game as an all-purpose back and went on to appear in all 14 games as the Spartans' starting kick returner in 2011, earning honorable mention Big Ten All-Freshman Team accolades. During that season, he finished second in the conference with 999 kick return yards (second-most in MSU single season history) and also gained 113 yards on the ground. Since then, Hill has continued a productive career at Michigan State that saw him score his first career touchdown in 2012 and rush for a career-high 344 yards in 2013 as he helped the Spartans achieve one of the best seasons in program history.

"My first touchdown against Central Michigan in 2012 was a big moment and highlight for me personally," said Hill. "The other one would have to be the entire 2013 season. Winning the Big Ten Championship Game after we lost in 2011 and then going to and winning the Rose Bowl was pretty incredible."

Since his arrival in East Lansing, Hill has worked to be successful not only on the football field but also in the classroom. He graduated with his bachelor's degree in psychology in May of 2014 and is currently pursuing a second degree in criminal justice as he looks to make plans once his stay at Michigan State is complete.

"I'm going to try to go the NFL and see how that pans out," Hill remarked. "But I'm looking at probably going into finance as well. I've got a couple jobs lined up with that."

"Most of all, I want to be remembered as a guy that never gave up and never quit no matter what type of adversity or challenges came my way."

-Nick Hill

A native of Chelsea, Michigan, Hill credits his father for his involvement in football at an early age and also recalled watching Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders as a kid.

"My father got me into football and I grew up wanting to play a sport that had a lot of contact," stated Hill. "I remember growing up and watching Barry Sanders play; I told myself that's one thing I wanted to do out there and that's the reason why I wear No. 20 now."

Hill also compares his game to current NFL players Ray Rice and Darren Sproles. In addition to past and current players, he has also gained inspiration from the work of certain celebrities.

"The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) and Arnold Schwarzenegger are two guys that I look up to a little bit for their stories and what they've gone through to get where they're at in their careers," said Hill. "For The Rock, football didn't work out for him but he still made himself into something with wrestling and acting. Arnold Schwarzenegger came over here to the U.S. with three goals - bodybuilding, acting, and politics. Both of those guys worked and grinded day in and day out to get where they are now. I feel like I can relate that to football or any other type of career. So I take the mindset to work hard every single day, not be afraid of failure, and be the best I can be in everything I do."

Hill has used that mindset to improve his skills as a running back in contributing to the Spartan's overall team success.

"I think I've gotten a lot better from freshman year to now," said Hill. "I've become a lot more decisive in my running. My pass protection's gotten a lot better and my overall knowledge of the game has really improved since I got here. The speed of the game and everything else has slowed down for me as well."

Despite the improvements he's made as a player since 2010, Hill still has a lot he wants to accomplish in his final year at MSU.

"I still have a lot of goals in front of me," he said. "Got my degree, so I can cross that off the list. But, I still want to get to the next level so this year is a big year for me. I want to make sure that any time I get on the field, I'm able to show the scouts and the guys at the next level what I can do."

Hill believes that the work ethic he's brought to the team will help him leave a very strong and lasting impression with the Spartan program.

"Most of all, I want to be remembered as a guy that never gave up and never quit no matter what type of adversity or challenges came my way," expressed Hill. "You knock me down once, you might me down twice, but I will keep getting back up every single time. When the coaches look back at my time here over the last five years, I want them to say he had a lot of heart, a lot of toughness, and he left it all on the field."

GETTING TO KNOW Nick Hill:

If you could have one super power, what would you choose?
Flying

Who is the most played artist on your iPod?
Lil Wayne, Michael Jackson

What is your pre-game ritual?
Listening to `We Be Steady Mobbin' by Lil Wayne

What is your favorite show on television?
The Big Bang Theory

Who is your celebrity crush?
Scarlett Johansson

If you didn't play football, what sport(s) would you play?
Baseball or MMA

This feature was originally published in the Aug. 29 edition of Michigan State Football Gameday Magazine.