Hill not satisfied with 2001 performance

Mike Hill didn't like what he saw when he watched himself in Penn Hills' game film from last season. Never mind his 83 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles. What Hill saw was a nose guard who was too slow and lacking in technique.

So he and his father did something about it.

Ron Hill didn't just share his son's designs on a Division I football career, he set out to put the recruiting process in motion in a way few other parents are willing: By treating it as an investment. He spent money with the intention of getting a scholarship.

Working in conjunction with Penn Hills coach Neil Gordon, the Hills put together a highlight tape to send out to colleges. They also made a color brochure that highlights his career statistics. They made arrangements to attend football skills camps at Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio), Syracuse and West Virginia this summer.

That was only the beginning.

Mike also started going to Athletic Fitness in Penn Hills, where he worked with personal trainer Tony Mitchell, a former Wilkinsburg coach. Hill worked on his weaknesses, particularly his soft belly and slow feet. He continued to lift weights with Penn Hills, sometimes working out six times a week total. The result was sculpting his physique to 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, and dropping his 40-yard dash times below the 5-second range.

“I'm working hard,” Hill said, “so that if things don't work out at least I'll know I put everything into it.”

Ron Hill is counting on it working out. After all, he's spent nearly $4,000.

“It'll pay off,” said Ron, who played at Westinghouse in the ‘60s. “I made an investment. If he gets a scholarship, I get my money back.”

Mike comes from an athletic family where three older brothers starred in high school: Montel Staples, the athletic director and boys' basketball coach at Duquesne; Rasheen Hill, an all-state defensive back at Perry in 1993; and Joe Hill, a 6-2 ¹ / ₂ , 290-pound nose tackle at East Los Angeles Junior College who played on Perry's '98 City champions and on Penn Hills' 8-2 team in ‘99.

Gordon's Indians could reap the benefits before any colleges do. The Indians are expected to be one of the top teams in WPIAL Class AAAA, and Hill should be the cornerstone of the interior defense because of his big-play ability. Last season, he had a fourth-down sack to preserve an overtime victory over Gateway, and had 14 tackles in a wild 47-42 win over McKeesport.

“He just flat-out makes tackles,” Gordon said. “You need somebody who makes tackles. And Mike's a playmaker.”

What Hill has to combat is concerns about his size. Some colleges want a powerful run-stopper at 6-5, 330 pounds, like Penn State All-America candidate Jimmy Kennedy. Hill looks to former Quad East foes Tyre Young (6-1, 260), the Woodland Hills grad now starting at Pitt and Andre Williams (6-1, 280), the former Central Catholic star headed to Wisconsin, as proof that he can play the position at the major-college level.

“That tells me people my size can go places,” Hill said.

Instead of trying to bulk up in the offseason, he opted to work on his burst off the line of scrimmage.

“I'd rather have him the way he is,” Gordon said. “He's a new man now. He's gained strength. He's much quicker. And he carries himself differently.”

Hill has noticed that many of the fellow campers at his position come in at a size and weight that is impressive on paper but counterproductive in person. He has impressed coaches at camps, but they wonder where he can play in college.

Is he big enough for nose guard• Is he fast enough for inside linebacker?

“When I go to these other camps and look at bigger guys, I see kids who are uncoordinated and slow,” Hill said. “A lot of schools see what they can build on. They look at me and wonder what they can do. If you have heart and speed and coordination, you can't take that away. I have the heart. I know that.”

And the Hills know in their heart that their time and investment is worthwhile.

“My dad's helped me get recruited,” Hill said. “If he puts the effort forth, I have to put the effort forth, too. I think I'm going to be much better this year because of it.”

Kevin Gorman's Recruiting2Day column appears Fridays in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at 412-320-7812 or .