UW football: Competition at RB puts Hill on alert
The challenge was issued in the form of a common two-letter word.
Or.
That's what P.J. Hill, who at the midway point of his career is on pace to be the second-leading rusher in the history of the University of Wisconsin football program, saw when he looked at the team's depth chart heading into spring.
At running back, it read Zach Brown or P.J. Hill.
Some with Hill's credentials -- his 2,805 career rushing yards rank ninth all-time at UW; his 31 touchdowns rank fifth -- would have taken the news as a slight, perhaps feeling a sense of entitlement to the starting position.
Not Hill, who didn't need to see a depth chart to know he had his work cut out for him if he was going to remain the Badgers' top tailback.
"I always just go out there with my mind-set to work hard because there's always guys behind you that want the job," said Hill, who will be a fourth-year junior in the fall. "When I was out, guys like Lance (Smith) and Zach, you could see that they could always get the job done."
Hill missed two full games and large portions of two others last season with a leg injury. While he was out, Brown, a true freshman at the time, played well in the starting role, including a 250-yard, two-touchdown effort in the regular-season finale against Minnesota.
Meanwhile, Smith has teased fans and the coaching staff with his potential the last two seasons and is more explosive than Hill and Brown.
And now there's one more player in line for Hill to see when he looks over his shoulder: John Clay, a Racine native who some consider to be one of the best running backs to come out of Wisconsin, is making a push for playing time.
Needless to say, UW running backs coach John Settle had plenty of material at his disposal when it came time to challenge Hill.
"The thing that I really believe, and I make no bones about it, is that competition amongst players creates greatness," Settle said. "Everything is always open. I don't ever want a guy that believes or feels like he can put on the coasters and take plays off because he's the guy and he's had success in the past."
While Hill rushed for 1,236 yards and scored 15 touchdowns in 11 games last season, Settle believed those numbers should have been better. Hill has dropped some weight since the end of last season -- he's down to 227 pounds -- and has been trying to improve on things like reading defenses and improving his footwork.
Hill's just happy to be healthy. He has missed spring practice the last two seasons with injuries, costing him opportunities to improve on fundamentals.
"There's always some things that he can work on, and he has bought into that," Settle said. "And I tell you what, I'm looking forward to the fall. I think he's going to have a great fall."
Having plenty of options behind Hill excites Settle, who had one healthy tailback on scholarship (Smith) available last spring. A year later, Settle has a full stable of running backs at his disposal.
"And that's why I'm having so much fun this year," Settle said. "We're at full strength. We've got both fullbacks (healthy), all the tailbacks are there. I've got guys to coach, guys that want to be coached and are taking coaching and getting better every practice."
Settle admitted that much of the focus this spring has been centered on finding out what Clay can do. The former Racine Park star, who might have the best combination of size and speed among the four tailbacks, has looked good at times but is still playing catch-up in terms of learning the offense.
"I set myself a goal that I just wanted to get the offense down and just get the flow of everything," Clay said. "So far, that's going good."
The coaching staff has experimented with Smith by splitting him wide and using him as a receiver. UW coach Bret Bielema has said Smith might have the best hands on the team, regardless of position.
"I tell you what, he's shown some ability out wide catching the football that I was surprised to see," Settle said. "I knew he was talented, but he's shown some things on the field that are very impressive. If he continues to go where I think he can go, we're going to be pretty good."
Brown has had a quiet spring, in part because he has been nursing a forearm injury. But Settle expects him to challenge Hill for the starting spot when preseason training camp arrives.
If his solid spring is any indication, Hill will be ready to answer that challenge.
"I just wake up with a smile on my face," Hill said. "I'm just ready to come out here and practice and work hard."
File photo/Mike DeVries/The Capital Times
P.J. Hill is one of just three players in UW history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons.
