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Tuesday, June 17, 2008 11:13 PM CDT
Eastern courting this Hill to be its own
By BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — Why would Eastern Illinois even let on campus the brother of the opposing quarterback who burned the Panthers in last year’s football playoffs?
Well, in addition to the fact coach Al Martin’s successful DuQuoin football program has been one of the most loyal participants to the Panthers’ camps over the years, the Indians’ current quarterback A.J. Hill is on Eastern’s wish list.
Hill is the younger brother of Nick Hill, who last November passed for 234 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 32 yards and another TD in Southern Illinois’ 30-11 win over the Panthers in the first round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
While Nick was leading Southern Illinois to the semifinals on his way to becoming a free agent trying to make the Chicago Bears roster, A.J. was passing for 1,100 yards and running for 650 for an 8-3 DuQuoin High School team as a junior becoming an NCAA Division I college prospect.
Nick is now a free agent trying to make the Chicago Bears.
A.J. is one of 30 DuQuoin players participating in Eastern’s camp this week in a summer that also has Northern Illinois, Louisville and Southern Illinois on his schedule.
“It’s a good chance to put in some of our stuff and have a chance to bond with the seniors,” Hill said. “I like how things are going.”
Meanwhile, Eastern makes its recruiting pitch.
Hill this week can get a taste of what it’s like to practice with EIU offensive coordinator Roy Wittke who is working with quarterbacks during segment sessions of coach Bob Spoo’s EIU football camp.
The DuQuoin quarterback said he has so far received scholarship offers from Eastern and Northern Illinois, where Jerry Kill became the coach this year after coaching A.J.’s brother Nick Hill at Southern.
Northern provides the opportunity to play at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.
Eastern can say it has been to NCAA playoffs at the Division I-AA and now FCS level six of the past eight years.
The fact Charleston is considerably closer to DuQuoin than Northern in DeKalb may not matter.
“I’m not really worried about distance,” Hill said. “I’m looking for the best fit and where I can play.”
Whoever wins this recruiting race might get a Hill even better than the one who is to be in an NFL preseason camp.
“I think he’s more of a football player than Nick was,” Martin said. “Nick was a player who when he was in high school played football as his second sport. He was going to Western Kentucky for basketball. A.J. is concentrating his skills in football. He’s probably ahead of Nick at this point. Nick had more height and A.J. has more strength.”
A.J. Hill said of talks with his brother: “He even tells me I’m a little more advanced than he was but he’s going to play for the Bears so now he’s got to be better.”
DuQuoin’s second leading rusher last season, A.J. Hill offers the multiple skills Spoo is now wanting in his Eastern quarterbacks.
“I feel I can make all the throws and if the play breaks down I’m not a burner but I can get the 4 or 5 yards needed,” Hill said.
DuQuoin, a Class 3A playoff qualifier also has a tight end/defensive end Dalton Marvin who Martin said could develop into a Division I recruit.
Class 2A playoff qualifier Casey-Westfield is the other school with a large contingent while the rest of the camp includes individuals including two from Charleston through the week.
Another of the one-day participant Tuesday was Alex Corwin, a 6-foot-5 tackle from Class 5A state champion Metamora while lineman Kyle Galik of Oconto, Wis., is also among those who got a look from EIU coaches working the camp.
“The numbers of the camp are just about ideal,” Martin said. “It’s not too bit. You get good instruction. We always like coming here.”
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
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618football wrote on Jun 18, 2008 12:51 AM:
Thanks.
618 Football "