Stephen Hill ready for NFL combine
Greetings-
Stephen Hill is ready to run fast. The former Georgia Tech wide receiver will fly up to Indianapolis today for the NFL draft combine.
“I’m feeling great,” he said. “I’m ready to go.”
Nervous?
“Not nervous at all,” he said, and he sounded it. “This is something I’ve been dreaming about and something I’ve been ready for.”
Since declaring for the draft Jan. 5, Hill has spent most of his time at the IMG training facility in Bradenton, Fla. He worked out with other draft hopefuls such as quarterback Russell Wilson from Wisconsin, quarterback Kirk Cousins and Rutgers wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. The training is principally for the combine, Tech’s pro day (March 6) and individual workouts with teams. He also spent a week in Atlanta getting tutored by former Falcons wide receiver Terance Mathis.
Among those training him in Florida was renowned speed coach Loren Seagrave. Hill said he plans to do all of the tests at the combine.
“My 40 time has improved a little bit,” Hill said. “It’s going to be interesting.”
How interesting?
“I want to run a 4.4,” he said. “But I feel like I can run a 4.3.”
At last year’s combine, four wide receivers ran in the 4.3 range (including Falcons draft pick Julio Jones) and 11 in the 4.4 range (including former Georgia star A.J. Green, now with Cincinnati). Hill said he wants to also put up a 40-inch vertical, which six wide receivers did at the 2011 combine.
“I know I’m going to turn some heads in the 40,” he said, “but mostly I just want to show that I can show the change of direction in the 5-10-5 (short shuttle) and the L-cone drill.”
The combine is a four-day process that includes thorough physical exams, measurements, interviews with teams and the workouts. The wide receivers begin Thursday and end with the workout drills Sunday.
The draft evaluation that Hill requested from the NFL prior to declaring said that he did not have the potential to be taken in the first three rounds. NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock pegged him as a fourth-rounder. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. said that a strong combine could lift Hill into the third round, but that he could go considerably later. The website nfldraftscout.com, a source I tend to put stock in, ranked him the No. 7 wide receiver and a possible second-round selection.
Hill said he’s not dwelling on where he might go in the draft.
“I just take it day-by-day,” he said. “I have to go to Indy to pro day and pro day to individual workouts. That’s just how I’m taking it.”
Thanks for reading.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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108 comments Add your comment
Delbert D.
February 23rd, 2012
11:28 am
Michael Jenkins was a good downfield blocker for the Falcons.
George Stein
February 23rd, 2012
11:28 am
Seriously, FL Jacket. Or the fact that Cam Newton actually was running a high school offense at Auburn? I mean, seriously.
RedandBlackDAWG
February 23rd, 2012
11:37 am
Hey, this kid might do quite well at the combine, if he has decent passes thrown his way, by a QB, who is really a legitimate passer. He is big enough and probably fast enough. You can’t say he is not physical enough,although the NFL doesn’t really demand its receivers be all that good at blocking unless there is a busted play and some sort of blocking is needed down field.
He has skills and now he will get a chance to showcase them.
BigTimeTechFan
February 23rd, 2012
11:40 am
Tech has had 3 great WR’s, then a lot of real good WR’s and Hill is one of those real good ones. If he played when Tech passed more is stats would have been a lot better.
3 great = Drew Hill, C Johnson, J Robinson
Ghost
February 23rd, 2012
12:07 pm
Bigtime, I’ll agree to disagree with you on Hill but he wasn’t real good either.
FL Jacket
February 23rd, 2012
12:32 pm
The truth of the matter is that the NFL cares less about what you did in college and more on what you can develop into in the future.
Catching 25 passes a year in a run-heavy option offense doesn’t have any bearing on one’s success in the NFL. Look at David Terrell, Mike Williams, Braylon Edwards, and Travis Taylor…prototype NFL WRs who accomplished a lot in college, knew how to play the position, and made big plays in college…they either left the game very early or are hanging on at a mediocre level.
GTfan2012
February 23rd, 2012
12:41 pm
Antioch “G”,
Don’t worry about the haters, they always come trolling the GT blogs because they have nothing better to do. Real GT fans appreciate Hill’s contributions and talent. His blocking improved tremendously while at GT, just look at the film. (And yes blocking does matter to the NFL types for a WR). I bet you that none of the draft prognosticators know that Stephen Hill was an elite level long jumper for his age in HS. That kind of explosiveness and power can’t be taught.
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yeller bug
February 23rd, 2012
12:57 pm
Wow—a GA troll using my name on here. Never had that happen before. I guess that reflects the significant illiteracy of the UGA types—there’s about 100k of English words and they can’t even come up with their own names. Pretty embarassing. So for you fake “Yeller Bug”: Try Dog Poop 1 or Dawg Poop 1, Dawg Poop 2, etc and count as high as you can go. That should give you 5 or 6 names to choose from. Sorry Antioch G—that wasn’t me.
George Stein
February 23rd, 2012
2:16 pm
I guess my point, Ghost, was that in the NFL the receivers change their routes midstream based on what the defense is doing. None of that happens in college, with the exception being that if a DB lines up with inside leverage, the player may run a corner route or some other outside route or, conversely, if the DB lines up with outside leverage the player may run a post or some other inside route.
But let’s not get formations confused with sophistication.
GT fan
February 23rd, 2012
2:22 pm
SH / NFL …. gets funnier every time I read about it. I hope the young man makes it at the next level, but I have real doubts. Kerry Watkins, Dez White, Kelly Campbell, Harvey Middleton, Bobby Rodriguez…just to name a few that were better WRs than SH. Dez & KC I know made the NFL, but did nothing great, and they both were FAR better WRs than SH. Watkins I think was a CFL’er. HM & BR, not sure.
Now here’s SH ……. The kid is supposedly 4.4 (or he thinks, 4.3) fast, and supposedly can jump out the stadium. Two traits he supposedly had when he signed with Tech. However, I never saw him exploit anyone with his speed, and more disturbing/perplexing, I NEVER SAW SHill USE HIS LEAPING ABILITY TO HIS/GT’s ADVANTAGE. Never have I seen a WR so (apparently) gifted with leaping ability consistly catch (and drop) so many passes with both feet on the ground.
CFL … sure. NFL … I’m ?? But I hope, being a GT fan, that it’s the latter.
George Stein … great point calling out the “speed coach” … I’ve definitely heard tons of times people say you can’t coach speed. Evidently Seagrave can. Maybe he knows Ponce de Leon too, and can tell us where that fountain is?
FL Jacket
February 23rd, 2012
2:28 pm
Everyone likes to blow things out of proportion. You can’t teach speed…DUH.
But you can teach a fast guy to run a better 40-time by teaching him how to get out of the block, how to transition, how to keep form.
Or then again, you can be Calvin Johnson and run a 4.3 at the Combine in someone else’s cleats…
GTfan2012
February 23rd, 2012
2:58 pm
We all know that Stephen Hill is no Calvin Johnson. But I also think he’s better than what GT Fan is implying. I saw him make a couple of plays this year for TDs that were called back for offensive pass interference. No way he gets called for offensive pass interference for that in the NFL. Stephen Hill is big, Stephen Hill is fast, Stephen Hill has good body control, Stephen Hill has gotten more physical. If he puts up some top combine numbers, look out… he could move into the top 5 of WRs in the Draft.
crackbaby
February 23rd, 2012
2:59 pm
Rounds 3 through 5 are where teams can find “value” by picking a guy with a lot of potential in areas where a team has strong needs. There are a lot (more than a handful) of NFL teams who badly need talent at WR.
It will be interesting to see how things develop. And for Stephen Hill, not being drafted could turn out to be a good thing. It’s the only way he can pick a team.
Here’s a reference point. Marques Colston of the Saints was projected as an undrafted free agent. 40 time was 4.55. He “Must….consistently catch the ball before he runs up field.” http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2006/draft/players/27260.html
Saints got him in round 7.
Just sayin’….
crackbaby
February 23rd, 2012
3:05 pm
@RedandBlackDAWG – “although the NFL doesn’t really demand its receivers be all that good at blocking unless there is a busted play and some sort of blocking is needed down field.”
Dude! I beg to differ. Look at the top teams – Pats, Giants, 49ers, Ravens, Steelers and even the Falcons. All those teams demand that their WRs block effectively downfield.
Are watching the same league?
Carlson
February 23rd, 2012
3:49 pm
Good luck S Hill. Keep training and give it your best – you have a good shot at it
GT fan
February 23rd, 2012
4:18 pm
No GTFan2012, I just have a pretty good eye for sports.
I hope SH makes the NFL b/c he wore the GT helmet. I’d love to be wrong about him, but I just have serious doubts. The kid never showed what he supposedly possed … SPEED & LEAPING ability. Go back and watch as many highlights as you can of him, and you won’t see him use his SPEED & LEAPING ability to much avail. Especially his LEAPING ability.
6′4″ and can jump, yet in his 3 years I don’t think I ever saw a “jump ball” to SH when GT was around the goal line. SH’s supposed leaping ability should’ve been a 3 year replay of Calvin Johnson around the goal line.
GT fan
February 23rd, 2012
4:32 pm
Also GTfan2012 …
In my first post I never brought up Calvin Johnson. What would be the pt of that? There will NEVER be another Calvin Johnson at GT. CJ’s a once-in-forever type player. Just too bad that he had Reggie Ball throwing to him and the bumbling idiot Chan Gailey as his coach.
But those other WRs I did mention, whether you like it or not, were better than SH. And the pt I was making is that of those 5 only 2, that I’m sure of, made the NFL, and those 2 were MUCH better than SH.
IMO, SH will put up quality “numbers” at the combine, and will drafted too high based on those “numbers”. He’ll get drafted on perceived potential, not his GT resume.
jarvis
February 23rd, 2012
4:40 pm
He has hands like feet.
George Stein
February 23rd, 2012
4:42 pm
Eh, I think you have to draft more for potential than college production, GT fan. I mean, if we drafted for production, then every Mike Leach QB would go first overall.
I don’t intend to use say that prior production is irrelevant, because it isn’t. But, I do think tools are more important. Ultimately, though, the player needs to be put in a system that maximized his tools and minimizes his flaws. For example, asking Wes Welker to run deep vertical routes is probably not going to help the team that much. Similarly, asking Calvin Johnson to be a possession receiver rather than the best deep threat in the past 20 years is foolish, too.
GT fan
February 23rd, 2012
4:59 pm
But George …. QBs are much easier for the NFL folks to evaluate.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING for a WR is what? To CATCH the ball. SH didn’t show me in his time at GT that he’ll be very successful at that in the NFL. A better word for me to have used would’ve been SH’s “measurables” not potential. 6′4″ 205lb (with a buildable frame), speed, leaping. SH wasn’t a consistent catcher of the football in college. I certainly don’t think he’ll suddenly become one in the NFL.
Again, I hope I’m wrong about the young man. It’ll only give more hope to WRs at GT now, and the ones who come later. I’m GT before I’m NFL.
George Stein
February 23rd, 2012
5:13 pm
I don’t disagree about his hands, GT fan. They were awfully frustrating because he could make the circus catch (think Clemson or last year at Kansas) but would drop easy ones (like the sure TD against UNC this year).
I think we’ll have to agree to disagree about QBs. JaMarcus Russell says hello, by the way.
FL Jacket
February 23rd, 2012
5:14 pm
GT fan…
Mike Williams had the best hands I’ve seen in a long time coming out of college, short of maybe Calvin. Did it work out for him in the NFL (he’s barely hanging on in Seattle after being out of football for over a year). He can catch the football.
The real trick for NFL receivers is knowing how to get open. How to beat press coverage using technique. How to read coverages and break off routes. They have to know the routes for up to all 5 receiver positions on any given play. It’s as much a mental exercise as it is a physical one.
Ghost
February 23rd, 2012
5:21 pm
George , of course they do , Would you like to go to a practice sometime? the back shoulder passes that Georgia and many programs use is a prime example of route adjustment during the route.
FL Jacket
February 23rd, 2012
5:21 pm
Yeah George, there’s no more scrutinized and still less understood NFL position to scout for than Quarterback…hands down.
How is it that Matt Leinart and Vince Young vie for Heismans and play in the MNC game, get drafted high, and yet are both NFL backups (when they should be in the peak of their careers) and nearing the exit of their playing career? Or what about Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen…fresh out of that Charlie Weis NFL system at Notre Dame?
On the flip side, who though Carolina was crazy for taking SCam Newton with the first pick overall? What round was Tony Romo drafted in?
FL Jacket
February 23rd, 2012
5:25 pm
Ghost…
The back-shoulder pass is not a route adjustment, it’s a route.
A route adjustment would be seeing the defensive coverage mid-route, breaking off to find the soft spot in the zone. Or seeing the QB get flushed toward a sideline and following his rollout.
Paddy
February 23rd, 2012
5:28 pm
Didn’t Hill win the “Bronze Gloves Award” at GT when he was a Soph?Then he played with them his Jr. year!
Ghost
February 23rd, 2012
5:28 pm
I disagree Fl. jacket the pass is thrown to back shoulder if the corner back is , the qb certainly isn’t going to throw to back shoulder if the DB isn’t in that position , then the pass would be thrown long.
gt45
February 23rd, 2012
5:52 pm
It can only be great for Tech if he makes it!
George Stein
February 23rd, 2012
6:20 pm
Totally agree, FL Jacket, on both points.
The back shoulder throw isn’t a route adjustment. It’s no different than a curl or a slant.
G Sizor
February 23rd, 2012
6:26 pm
@ Paddy 5:48………now that is funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FL Jacket
February 23rd, 2012
6:28 pm
Ghost…I see where you are coming from.
Throwing it to the back shoulder because the CB is not looking at the pass being thrown, and asking the WR to make an adjustment. I would argue that’s more on the QB, because it seems that it requires the accuracy necessary to lead to the back shoulder as it would to throw a fade route to the back pylon, a high jump ball in the back of the endzone to a taller receiver, or a ball thrown towards the OB so that only a WR can catch it and get his feet in bounds. These seem to me to be more timing-routes.
I think we’re talking about asking a WR to make a post-snap, mid-route read to recognize the coverage and change the route completely…at the same time the QB is doing the same.
1 4 GT
February 23rd, 2012
6:33 pm
More like half a million words in the English language yeller bug. That further shows how ignorant the trolls are.
crackbaby
February 23rd, 2012
6:48 pm
Hill certainly dropped catch-able balls. However, y’all aren’t remembering some great catches. Early this year on the West sideline – that one handed grab that was way behind him and his feet came down just in bounds. I believe that was a third down conversion.
Also the ?Clemson? game, after an early drop, he caught the deep post route over his shoulder with a DB draped all over him. It was toward the south end zone (not sure if it was Clemson game).
That part of the game is mental and Stephen is young and still learning. Let’s wait and see what happens.
1 4 GT
February 23rd, 2012
6:59 pm
How silly of Ghost to hint at Murray being anywhere near consistently accurate in his passing game to utilize such sophistication. Admittedly, he has shown flashes of brilliance, but then he starts channeling Reggie Ball. Arron Murray a bit > than Reggie Ball in consistency.
Go Tech
February 23rd, 2012
7:03 pm
Good luck Stephen!
dekalb fan
February 23rd, 2012
7:36 pm
Stephen Hill
Rob Rang of CBS Sports sees Georgia Tech WR Stephen Hill as being similar to Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas and mentions that he could come off of the board as early as the second-round.
Hill has great size 6-foot-5, 206 pounds and could run as low 4.4 at the Combine which should warrant plenty of interest from NFL teams. One quick note: Hill had a 29.3 yards per reception at Georgia Tech last season.
dekalb fan
February 23rd, 2012
7:41 pm
Another Scouting Report from an NFL Scout:
Report Prepared: February 18, 2012
After a sub-par sophomore season where Hill dropped several passes, he bounced back in his junior campaign to become one of college football’s biggest big-play threats. In 2011, Hill only caught 28 passes in Georgia Tech’s triple option offense; however, his receptions resulted in a gaudy 820 yards, which led the nation in yards per catch at 29.3. The concern is that Hill remains a raw prospect, as the Rambling Wreck are not known for their sophistication in the aerial game. He will have to “hit the books” on the receiving route tree in an NFL playbook, as his routes will need a lot of work. Hill had some notable drops over his career, mostly due to lack of concentration. And to be fair, he’s also demonstrated spectacular leaping ability and rare hand strength to make some amazing catches (easily understood based on the passing ability of Georgia Tech QB’s). Despite receiving an unfavorable grade from the NFL committee, Hill has decided to take his talents to the NFL. If he was enrolled at a program that had a better passing attack, he definitely could have used another year at school to refine his route running ability. Regardless, scouts will fall in love with Hill’s size and playmaking ability. He is probably a 3rd round pick but with a good combine and a good pro day he could rise to the 2nd round.
Compares to (Current NFL Player): Demaryius Thomas
Strengths
– Size
– Speed
– Big Strong hands
Weaknesses
– Raw
– Poor route runner
– Lacks focus on occasions
Bob Horner
February 23rd, 2012
7:48 pm
Need Biff Pocoroba and I to coach the concept of a forward pass to the Tech offense?
How bout them BEES!
February 23rd, 2012
8:18 pm
Hill is the kind of receiver that can’t catch a cold, but he looks good doing it.
Jacket Man
February 23rd, 2012
8:23 pm
Like I said when Stephen first declared, if he got into NFL Combine “shape” and was able to run a 4.4 forty or better, and shows he has skills in the passing drills, then he’ll shoot up the draft board. In other words, come in and show the work ethic of Demaryious Thomas rather than Jonathan Dwyer.
Birmingham Jacket
February 23rd, 2012
8:25 pm
Stephen Hill:
The Georgia Tech over UGA commitment that have DAWG fans laughing their asses off.
Must have been coaching.
Not…
Jacket Time
February 24th, 2012
12:11 am
Receiver U! Oh ye-ah
Not Disappointed
February 24th, 2012
7:18 am
I wish you the best of luck Stephen. Make all of us proud! God Bless and Ramblin Wreck!
Technically Correct
February 24th, 2012
9:01 am
Does the Athens Journal Constitution have anyone assigned to cover Georgia Tech athletics anymore?
5150 UOAD
February 24th, 2012
9:12 am
Stephen Trevon Hill
Well it’s that time to show what I can do!! Thank you God for the opportunity!!
Unlike · · Wednesday at 9:38pm near Belmont
Go HILL and Impress the scouts.
HighTech
February 24th, 2012
9:33 am
Someone from Tech (maybe Al Groh) needs to be on the phone or plan a trip to Maryland. Coach Edsall has lifted his restrictions for players who want to transfer.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=dw-wetzel_danny_obrien_maryland_randy_edsall_022212
NFL Draft 2012: Fast-Rising Prospects to Keep an Eye on | :: Sparxxrx LLC ::
February 24th, 2012
11:36 am
[...] the NFL. The only question surrounds his speed, which we’ll get a glimpse of at the combine. Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal Constitution quoted Hill talking about his speed. “My 40 time has [...]
dawgfan
February 24th, 2012
1:24 pm
14GT, the only time that Aaron Murry channels Reggie Ball is when he’s doing things to help UGA win against Georgia Tech.
Aaron Murray’s stats against the Joke By Coke in 2 seasons as starter: 523 yards passing, 34 of 48 passing (71%), 7 TDs, 1 INT.
Aaron Murray has singlehandedly made an absolute effing mockery out of your defense the past two seasons. I don’t think any of you Techies are in any position to critque the level of sophistication of our offense. It looks like there is plenty of sophistication for you joke defense to handle.
Techies, if you don’t want me around here don’t go popping off at your big fat mouths about UGA like you’ve actually got something to say to us. The day that you understand this is the day that you hear nothing else out of me. Until then,
Georgia Tech=JOKE.
Thanks.
FL Jacket
February 24th, 2012
2:37 pm
Well, dwagfan certainly feels better about himself now that he’s defended the only thing in his life that’s important to him…