STARKVILLE — For the first time in months, Columbus native Kylin Hill returned to Mississippi State.
Having left the team in November in order to prepare for the NFL draft, Hill was one of a slew of former Bulldogs to partake in Wednesday’s pro day. While numbers from his afternoon weren’t readily available and the session was closed to reporters, the former Columbus High School standout was high on his performance.
“It’s been a real grind,” Hill said of prepping the past few months. “Especially competing against real good athletes on the same level as me or even better. Basically just seeing where I’m at in the process and the best is just coming out of everything, got to display the hard work and everything went smooth.”
One of the more intriguing backs in the 2021 draft, Hill’s versatility and numbers speak for themselves. In Joe Moorhead’s spread scheme during the 2019 season, he came just 41 yards shy of breaking Anthony “Boobie” Dixon’s single-season rushing record and concluded his MSU career with over 2,500 yards and 16 touchdowns to his name.
During the Bulldogs’ upset of then-No. 6 LSU in Baton Rouge to open last season, Hill also flashed the pass-catching prowess that has scouts intrigued with his next-level ability. Helping MSU to a 44-34 win, he finished the afternoon with eight receptions for 158 yards and a game-breaking 75-yard touchdown.
“Just seeing him, man, he looks great,” linebacker Erroll Thompson, who also participated in Pro Day, said of Hill. “He’s been working really hard, so just chopping it up with him about his training and seeing him go perform today and reach the things he wanted to reach and accomplish today has been great.”
But for as involved as Hill has been in the MSU offense, his legacy at MSU is more far reaching. During the offseason, Hill threatened to sit out the season should legislators not remove Confederate iconography from the state flag. He became a crucial figure in the fight to change the flag and a lobbying effort. It resulted in the flag being changed after to a November referendum.
“It just took the courage,” Hill said. “I mean, I’m an athlete. I’m branded very well so I feel like somebody in my position had to speak up. What I did, I knew the backlash I was going to get. My family and my teammates, they stood behind me — and even the coaches — they helped everything work out. The support I was getting just felt good.”
Hill’s departure from the program was also rather murky. It’s since been reported that an outburst with staffers around the time of MSU’s loss to Kentucky on Oct. 10 involved the do-it-all running back. Hill has since denied those claims in a Washington Post article that detailed his activism and the months since.
Incident or not, Hill made note Wednesday that the past weeks and months have given him time to grow. He explained how his lack of a father figure made it harder for him socially and that being with and around people didn’t come easily as a kid. Hill said he’s learned a lot about himself since leaving Starkville. Working with trainers has prepared him physically for the draft. His conversations with varying constituents like LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase and Purdue’s Rondale Moore have aided the mental side.
“We’ve become close friends and just going out and enjoying life,” Hill said. “Like I said, the whole experience, being away I’ve matured a lot more, and (I’m) just a better person all around.”
NFL.com projects Hill as a high-upside backup in the league. Analyst Lance Zierlein suggests he could be a similar comparison to former Auburn tailback and current Washington Football team running back Peyton Barber. But whether Hill’s long term future is in the NFL or beyond, Wednesday’s pro day and press conference were a chance to reflect on his time in Starkville.
“Everything about Mississippi State has been family,” He said. “No matter what sport, students, janitors, it doesn’t matter. Everybody treats you like family. That’s what you want. That’s what I always tell recruits: the No. 1 thing with Mississippi State is family. If you want family, come here. Everybody gets treated equal, and that’s what I loved most about this program.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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