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Peyton Hillis

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Peyton Hillis
refer to caption
Hillis with the Chiefs in 2012
No. 22, 40, 44, 33
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1986-01-21) January 21, 1986 (age 38)
Conway, Arkansas
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school:Conway (AR)
College:Arkansas
NFL draft:2008 / round: 7 / pick: 20
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:2,832
Rushing average:4.1
Rushing touchdowns:23
Receptions:134
Receiving yards:1,050
Receiving touchdowns:3
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Peyton Derek Hillis (born January 21, 1986) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL). Hillis attended Conway High School in Conway, Arkansas and was a highly touted recruit. Hillis attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas where he was primarily used as a fullback. After being drafted in the 7th round of the 2008 NFL Draft, Hillis rose to the top of the depth chart as the starting fullback for the Denver Broncos. Due to injuries to the running back corps, he became the starting running back. After spending two years in Denver, Hillis was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2010. In 2011, Hillis won a nationwide vote which put him on the cover of EA Sports' Madden NFL 12.

College career

Hillis during his college years at Arkansas

Peyton attended college at the University of Arkansas from 2004–2008, majoring in Sociology. As a true freshman, Hillis gained 240 yards rushing, 97 yards receiving, and scored 8 touchdowns, ranking 4th in the SEC in total touchdowns and tying Georgia's Thomas Brown for most touchdowns scored by a SEC freshman that year.[1]

During his sophomore year, Hillis accounted for 947 all-purpose yards (including more than 200 in kick-off and punt returns) and seven touchdowns while also serving as a blocker for up-and-coming star running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.

Career statistics

Rushing Receiving Kickoff Returns Punt Returns
Year G Att Yrds Avg TD Lg Rec Yrds Avg TD Lg No. Yrds Avg TD Lng No. Yrds Avg TD Lng
2004 10 63 240 3.8 6 42 12 97 8.1 2 18 7 128 18.3 0 30 0 0 0 0 0
2005 11 65 315 4.8 3 32 38 402 10.6 4 45 3 65 21.7 0 23 16 165 10.3 0 27
2006 10 13 57 4.9 1 12 19 159 8.4 0 21 1 18 18 0 18 8 92 11.5 0 27
2007 13 62 348 5.6 2 65 49 539 11 5 34 1 2 2 0 2 1 0 0 0 0
Totals 44 203 960 4.7 12 65 118 1,197 10.1 11 45 12 213 17.8 0 30 25 257 10.3 0 27

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press Wonderlic
6'0 ¾ * 240 * 4.57 ** s 1.56 ** s 2.64 ** s 4.24 ** s 7.15 * s 35" ** 9 9 * 26 * reps 17
* From NFL Combine ** From Arkansas Pro Day[2]

Denver Broncos

Hillis during his tenure with the Denver Broncos.

Hillis was selected by the Denver Broncos with the 20th pick in the seventh round (227th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. He was also assigned his college number, 22.

At the start of the 2008 season, Hillis was listed as the Broncos' starting fullback. He played in his first NFL regular season game on September 8, 2008, gaining 14 yards on three rushing attempts and four yards on one reception as part of a 41–14 Broncos road victory over the Oakland Raiders.[3] Later in the season, he recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game with seven catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in a 26–17 Broncos home loss to the Miami Dolphins on November 2, 2008.[4]

Following an injury to Ryan Torain in the Broncos 34–30 comeback road victory over the Cleveland Browns, Hillis was named Denver's starting running back. His first start at the position netted him 44 yards and two touchdowns on only 10 carries as part of a 24–20 road victory over the Atlanta Falcons.[5] Two weeks later, he recorded his first 100-yard rushing game with 129 yards and a touchdown on 22 attempts in a 34–17 road victory over the New York Jets.[6] The performance earned Hillis multiple honors including being named Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week as well as FedEx Ground Player of the Week alongside Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, who was named NFL Air Player of the Week.[7] The string of victories and accolades built up anticipation among Broncos faithful for Hillis to continue as running back for the rest of the season. However, the season already plagued with running back injuries continued, with Hillis suffering a season-ending injury in a 24–17 home win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Coming down from an acrobatic catch of a Cutler pass with his right foot planted, Hillis was hit from both sides by Chiefs' free safety Jarrad Page and cornerback Brandon Carr. The hit doubled Hillis over, causing a 2–3 inch tear in his right hamstring behind the knee, which forced him to miss the rest of the season.[8] Despite his limited playing time, Hillis ended the 2008 season as the Broncos' leading rusher with 343 yards and 5 touchdowns and was expected to return as a significant offensive presence for the 2009 season.[9]

With the loss of Hillis, depth at the running back position was practically nil and the Broncos fell to 8–8 on the season and failed to make the playoffs. Due to a lack of post-season berths in recent years, Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan was fired during the off-season and replaced with Josh McDaniels.[10][11] McDaniels' first order of business was to recruit new talent to fit his playing scheme, which involved adding depth to the running back position with first round draft pick Knowshon Moreno and free agent Correll Buckhalter.

Despite rising to the starting fullback position and becoming the leading rusher the previous year, Hillis had only 54 yards on 13 carries in the 2009 season. As the Broncos offense collapsed late-season and Hillis still saw no significant playtime, fans began speculating about a disagreement between Hillis and McDaniels as had been the case with other Shanahan carry-overs.[12] In a post-season interview, Hillis expressed disappointment over his playing time on the season, but remained tight-lipped about the controversy, maintaining that conversations between him and McDaniels were "friendly".[13] In the same interview, Hillis was quoted as saying his future in Denver was "up in the air". On March 14, 2010, the Broncos traded Hillis to the Cleveland Browns along with a sixth-round pick in the 2011 Draft and a conditional pick in the 2012 Draft in exchange for quarterback Brady Quinn.[14]

Cleveland Browns

Hillis during his tenure with the Browns.

Hillis' arrival in Cleveland was met with anticipation after the results of his active stint in Denver during the 2008 season.[15] During the 2010 preseason, the Browns distributed snaps evenly between Hillis, Jerome Harrison, James Davis, Chris Jennings, and Montario Hardesty (upon returning from injury).[16][17][18][19] Hillis' best pre-season rushing game came in Week 2 against the St. Louis Rams when, getting the majority of the snaps, Hillis ran for 51 yards on 12 carries (4.3 ypc).

As the regular season began, Hillis' start in Cleveland began much the same way as it did in Denver, listed down the depth chart at both tight end and fullback. Also like his start in Denver, early season injuries to Harrison and Davis thrust Hillis into the starting spot for the Week 3 game versus the Baltimore Ravens.[20] The result was a 144-yard (6.5 ypc) romp against the Ravens' staunch rushing defense, which allowed just 3.4 yards per carry in the 2009 season.[21] Hillis also added 36 yards on 7 receptions for a total of 180 all-purpose yards. The next week, Hillis again ran for over 100 yards at home against the Cincinnati Bengals, leading the Browns to their first victory in the 2010 regular season. A thigh injury in practice limited Hillis in Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons, though Hillis did add a 19-yard reception for a touchdown, making him the first Browns player since Greg Pruitt to record touchdowns in five consecutive games, though Pruitt's came all through rushing.[22][23] Coming off a bye week in Week 8, Hillis set career marks in both rushing and all-purpose yards against the New England Patriots in Week 9, finishing the game with 184 rushing yards (6.5 ypc) and 220 yards of total offense.[24] Following this game, Hillis was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 9, the first Cleveland Browns running back to win that honor since Eric Metcalf in 1992. In week 12, Hillis joined Marshall Faulk as the only players to have achieved more than 130 yards rushing, 3 rushing touchdowns, and 60 yards receiving in a single game.[25] On December 12, 2010, Peyton Hillis went over the 1,000 yard mark on an 8-yard rush, that was preceded by a 25-yard rush. He became the first white running back since Craig James to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.[26]

Due to his breakout season, Hillis was the Browns finalist in the Madden NFL 12 cover vote. After upsetting Ray Rice, Matt Ryan, and Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers, he advanced to the finals where he faced off against Michael Vick. On April 27, 2011, Hillis was announced as the cover athlete for the game, beating out Vick with 66 percent of the vote.[27]

Hillis had a difficult 2011-2012 season that led him to be associated with the Madden Curse, a history of poor performance by athletes after appearing on the Madden cover.[28] The season began with unsuccessful negotiations to extend his contract.[29] He had a good game in a Week 2 match-up with the Indianapolis Colts, running for 94 yards and 2 touchdowns.,[30] but he then sat out a game the next week against the Miami Dolphins with strep throat on the advice of his agent.[31] Hillis then injured his hamstring 2 times, once in a game and once in practice, limiting his performance and frustrating teammates.[32] He rebounded towards the end of the season, rushing for 99 yards in Arizona and 112 in Baltimore to finish with 587 and 3 TDs. At the end of the year, Hillis stated he wanted to re-sign with the Browns, even willing to offer a hometown discount, but the Browns never made him an offer and allowed him to leave as a free agent to Kansas City.[33]

Kansas City Chiefs

On March 14, 2012, Hillis signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.[34] He finished the year with 309 yards on 85 carries as a backup to Jamaal Charles.[35]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On July 23, 2013, Hillis signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[36]

It was announced on September 21, 2013 that Hillis had been released by the Buccaneers.[37] His Buccaneers career ended with 1 game active, no carries, no catches, and no offensive yards.

New York Giants

On October 16, 2013, the New York Giants announced they had signed Hillis for the 2013-14 season.[38] On March 11, 2014, the Giants gave Hillis a $1.8 million contract extension for two more years. Before the start of the 2014 season, Hillis agreed to change his number from 44 to 33, so that rookie Andre Williams could wear the number he wore in college. Hillis wore 33 while he was in training camp with the Buccaneers.[39]

On February 25, 2015, the Giants announced the release of Hillis.[40][41]

Retirement

Hillis retired in 2015, at his doctor's behest due to his history of concussions and the potential of future injury. Hillis also claimed in an interview, "as far as NFL football goes, my heart's just not in it anymore."[42]

Professional statistics

Regular season   Rushing   Receiving
Season Team GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
2008 Denver Broncos 12 6 68 343 5.0 19 5 14 179 12.8 47 1
2009 Denver Broncos 14 2 13 54 4.2 13 1 4 19 4.8 6 0
2010 Cleveland Browns 16 14 270 1,177 4.4 48 11 61 477 7.8 47 2
2011 Cleveland Browns 10 9 161 587 3.6 24 3 22 130 5.9 52 0
2012 Kansas City Chiefs 13 2 85 309 3.6 18 1 10 62 6.2 15 0
2013 New York Giants 7 1 73 247 3.4 27 2 13 96 7.4 16 0
2014 New York Giants 9 0 26 115 4.4 16 0 10 87 8.7 26 0
Career 81 34 696 2,832 4.1 48 23 134 1,050 7.8 52 3

Personal life

Hillis married his wife Amanda in October 2011. Their first son, Orry, was born in June, 2013. They live on their 1300-acre soybean farm in southwestern Tennessee.[43][44]

Hillis endorsed Ron Paul during the 2012 presidential election.[45]

References

  1. ^ Peyton Hillis Biography thru 2006
  2. ^ Peyton Hillis - Arkansas, FB - 2008 NFL Draft Scout Player Profile
  3. ^ Broncos vs. Raiders
  4. ^ Broncos vs. Dolphins
  5. ^ Broncos vs. Falcons
  6. ^ Broncos vs. Jets
  7. ^ Broncos FB Hillis Voted Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week
  8. ^ Torn right hamstring to sideline Hillis for rest of season
  9. ^ Hillis NFL.com Bio
  10. ^ Broncos Fire Shanahan After 14 Seasons
  11. ^ Broncos Introduce McDaniels
  12. ^ The Answer is Hillis
  13. ^ Peyton Hillis Speaks on his First Season with Josh McDaniels
  14. ^ Broncos Trade Hillis, 6th Round Pick for QB Brady Quinn
  15. ^ Browns Training Camp Notebook for Aug. 1
  16. ^ Box Score for Browns vs. Packers 08/14/2010
  17. ^ Box Score for Rams vs. Browns 08/21/2010
  18. ^ Box Score for Browns vs. Lions 08/28/2010
  19. ^ Box Score for Bears vs. Browns 09/02/2010
  20. ^ Browns Notebook: Who's got the ball on Sunday
  21. ^ Browns vs. Ravens
  22. ^ Browns vs. Falcons
  23. ^ Browns Post-Game Notes
  24. ^ Browns vs. Patriots
  25. ^ Hillis Joins Rams Legend in NFL Record Book
  26. ^ "Peyton Hillis says teams taunted him for being white running back". Content.usatoday.com. 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2012-09-22.
  27. ^ "Madden '13 Cover: Vote for EA Sports' Madden NFL 2013 Cover Athlete - SportsNation - ESPN". Espn.go.com. Retrieved 2012-09-22.
  28. ^ http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7405565/after-tough-season-cleveland-browns-peyton-hillis-believer-madden-video-game-curse/
  29. ^ http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/11/cleveland_browns_peyton_hillis_9.html
  30. ^ http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=310918011
  31. ^ http://www.cleveland.com/budshaw/index.ssf/2011/10/peyton_hillis_agent_tries_to_c.html
  32. ^ http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/35116/are-browns-done-with-peyton-hillis
  33. ^ http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/03/former_browns_running_back_pey.html
  34. ^ Peyton Hillis leaves Browns for fresh start with Chiefs
  35. ^ http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/78924/peyton-hillis-never-fit-with-chiefs
  36. ^ Schwab, Frank (2013-07-23). "Peyton Hillis (remember him?) has signed one-year with Tampa Bay Buccaneers". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  37. ^ La Canfora, Jason (2013-09-21). "Peyton Hillis released by Tampa Bay Buccaneers". Jason La Canfora. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  38. ^ http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2013/10/giants_sign_rb_peyton_hillis.html
  39. ^ Hanzus, Dan (March 11, 2014). "Report: Peyton Hillis signs New York Giants contract". NFL.com. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  40. ^ "Giants release RB Peyton Hillis". ESPN. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  41. ^ "New York Giants release RB Peyton Hillis". NFL. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  42. ^ Brad Gagnon. "The Peyton Hillis Story: From Madden Cover to Outside Looking In". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  43. ^ http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8256166/nfl-peyton-hillis-ready-reboot
  44. ^ Pennington, Bill (October 26, 2013). "Giants' Hillis Goes From Watching 'Monday Night Football' to Playing in It". The New York Times.
  45. ^ Peyton Hillis supports Ron Paul? Feel free to pin that on him, too
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