Tribal Warfare
02-08-2010, 07:32 PM
Talking pro football: It's no longer a fantasy for OHS grad Hiller (http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4765035)
about 16 hours ago
By AARON DORKSEN
Daily Record Sports Editor
Just as he has done for most years of his life, Tim Hiller made it a point to watch the Super Bowl on TV Sunday night.
Like countless others, Hiller dreamed of playing in the NFL one day -- maybe even getting to the big game.
"A lot of us have thought about it," he said. "I was a big Browns fan growing up and even had a Bernie Kosar jersey from the J.C. Penney's catalog.
"It would be a dream come true to play in the NFL."
It is not a boyhood fantasy anymore when Hiller talks about playing pro football.
After a record-setting career as the quarterback at Western Michigan University, the Orrville High graduate is in the most important year of his athletic life.
The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder played in front of various NFL scouts Saturday in the Texas vs. The Nation Game, which spotlights college seniors. In limited action, he completed 2-of-4 passes for 12 yards including a touchdown.
Hiller will get a much bigger audition when he participates in the NFL Draft Combine, which will be held Feb. 24-March 2 in Indianapolis. All 32 NFL teams will be on hand to scout players there.
Then, judgment day will come in the form of the NFL Draft April 22-24, where most early prognosticators have Hiller being selected in the middle to late stages of the draft.
Hiller isn't concerned right now about what people are predicting for his football future, whether it's good or bad.
"Anybody who knows me knows that I'm a pretty focused person," Hiller said. "I don't get online and read stuff and I try to stay away from watching ESPN.
"I know we didn't have quite the year at Western Michigan we wanted to with a team that was pretty young, but you always hear that scouts find talent. So I'm going to keep working hard and control the things I can control."
L.A. frame of mind
Hiller has gone from game-planning to beat Western Michigan opponents, to mapping out the best way to get ready for the draft combine and the NFL training camp he hopes follows.
In order to help take the next step, Hiller has moved to the Los Angeles area, hired sports agent Carter Chow and undertaken a rigorous training regimen.
"Tim has a lot of pluses, such as his size and intelligence and leadership qualities," said Chow, whose clients include three-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady of the Patriots and Saints head coach Sean Payton.
Asked what Hiller needs to work most on, Chow said, "Every QB has to work on simply refining their craft -- footwork, accuracy, etc."
Chow said one scout mentioned recently that Hiller reminded him of a young version of Brady, who wound up being a steal after New England got him in round six of the 2000 draft out of Michigan.
"That's just one man's opinion, though," Chow said. "Tim has his own game, and we feel he has his own great future ahead of him."
Hiller may not be a pro yet, but pros are all around him and some are working with him directly.
"The Home Depot Center in Carson (Calif.) where I'm training is a great facility," Hiller said. "Pro and college athletes work out there and even some Olympians.
"I'm working with a trainer on very different things than we did at Western Michigan. It's so specific to the combine, things like getting ready for the 225-pound bench press test. They've also brought in a sports psychologist from a university nearby to prepare us to talk to the scouts -- it's all a process."
Hiller has also visited UCLA on occasion, when Carter's father, Norm Chow, is the offensive coordinator. There, Hiller has been able to work on passing drills with other draft prospects from the Bruins, USC and Oregon.
Former BYU and Browns quarterback Ty Detmer has worked with Hiller on his mechanics and footwork. During the Texas vs. The Nation practices, Kosar was the quarterbacks coach.
"Tim had a very good week of practice in El Paso," Carter Chow said.
Hiller may not be in the NFL yet, but it is certainly all around him.
"The workouts and practices have been really great," Hiller said. "Everything is first class where I've trained."
The scouting report
Ask anyone who's followed Hiller's career about his strengths and they'll likely start with two things: Character and intelligence.
Hiller started a Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at Western and regularly led Bible studies with his fiancee, Michelle, at the campus.
In the classroom, he's never received a grade other than an A. The 4.0 student graduated in just three years with a sales and marketing degree and is just five classes shy of completing his masters in business administration.
That intelligence has carried over to the football field, where Hiller directed a complex offense for coach Bill Cubit at Western. There were ups and downs as a Bronco, as the team went 7-4, 5-7, 9-5 and, finally, 5-7 with Hiller at quarterback.
Hiller's arm strength and accuracy were positives for the Broncos, where he re-wrote just about every passing record there. He's the career record-holder for passing yards (11,329), completions (1,013), attempts (1,607) and touchdown passes (99).
Early in his career Hiller had the luxury of throwing to current NFL players Greg Jennings (Packers) and Tony Scheffler (Broncos), and had a record-setter in Jamarko Simmons after that. However, last season Hiller struggled at times (23 TD passes, 13 INTs, down from 36 scores and 10 picks as a junior) with a young supporting cast around him.
How well his right arm measures up to NFL standards, where windows to complete passes open and close much quicker, will be an important factor at the combine.
Scouts will also be interested to evaluate the mobility of Hiller, who underwent a right knee surgery at the end of his freshman season and a left knee procedure following his junior year. As a senior he admitted that the left knee was not altogether better, but said there are no longer any health issues.
"I have to say I feel 100 percent," said Hiller, who some scouts reported showed good mobility during practices in El Paso this week. "The trainers at Western did a phenomenal job helping me.
"I was able to maintain strength in the left knee last season and have built it up. I feel very fortunate to be healthy at the right time."
Enjoying the ride
Hiller said he's eagerly awaiting the Draft Combine and knows it's a huge opportunity.
"Any time you're in front of scouts, coaching staffs and GMs from every team in the league, obviously that's very important," he said. "The physical tests are important, but so are the interviews we'll be doing.
"Hopefully, I can separate myself from some other guys when it comes time to watch film or draw up plays on the white board. I'm fortunate to have had some great coaching at Western."
With each step of Hiller's athletic career he's remained extremely humble, one more characteristic some team may appreciate.
"It still seems weird to say that I have an agent," said Hiller, who hired Chow when it became apparent he could be drafted into the NFL.
Hiller's parents, Tom and Amy, along with younger brother Matthew, have supported Tim's career in an excited yet unpretentious manner.
"We appreciate the coverage, but don't readers get bored of stories about Tim?" his dad half-jokingly asked at a recent Orrville boys basketball game, before being stopped by several friends for updates on Tim.
Orrville athletic director Kent Smith said people throughout this area are following Hiller's career closely, and rooting him on.
"You'd be proud of anyone in Tim's situation, but he's also such a nice young man and person of character," Smith said.
Added Orrville head football coach Doug Davault, who was an assistant when Hiller was a high school record-setter for the Red Riders: "We're very excited about all that's going on.
"He is working his tail off as everyone would expect," Davault continued. "It's fun for not just Orrville fans, but everyone in the area. I know a lot of people are enjoying following what's going on for him.
"People are setting over-unders -- second round, third, fourth, what? They know he's going to be taken, they just don't know where."
If Hiller is picked, he'd be the first local since fellow Orrville alum Damian Vaughn was drafted in the seventh round by the Bengals in 1998. Vaughn made the team's practice squad and spent time in NFL Europe, but never appeared in a regular-season NFL game.
The last local to play in a regular-season game was Larry Kolic (Smithville, Ohio State) for the Dolphins from 1986-88.
Many variables will occur between now and the NFL Draft, and then training camp and next season's games.
Hiller may or may not be under contract by an NFL team a year from now. But the long odds of a boy watching the Super Bowl making it to the pros suddenly don't look so insurmountable in his case.
The NFL dream is looking more like a reality than ever for Tim Hiller.
about 16 hours ago
By AARON DORKSEN
Daily Record Sports Editor
Just as he has done for most years of his life, Tim Hiller made it a point to watch the Super Bowl on TV Sunday night.
Like countless others, Hiller dreamed of playing in the NFL one day -- maybe even getting to the big game.
"A lot of us have thought about it," he said. "I was a big Browns fan growing up and even had a Bernie Kosar jersey from the J.C. Penney's catalog.
"It would be a dream come true to play in the NFL."
It is not a boyhood fantasy anymore when Hiller talks about playing pro football.
After a record-setting career as the quarterback at Western Michigan University, the Orrville High graduate is in the most important year of his athletic life.
The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder played in front of various NFL scouts Saturday in the Texas vs. The Nation Game, which spotlights college seniors. In limited action, he completed 2-of-4 passes for 12 yards including a touchdown.
Hiller will get a much bigger audition when he participates in the NFL Draft Combine, which will be held Feb. 24-March 2 in Indianapolis. All 32 NFL teams will be on hand to scout players there.
Then, judgment day will come in the form of the NFL Draft April 22-24, where most early prognosticators have Hiller being selected in the middle to late stages of the draft.
Hiller isn't concerned right now about what people are predicting for his football future, whether it's good or bad.
"Anybody who knows me knows that I'm a pretty focused person," Hiller said. "I don't get online and read stuff and I try to stay away from watching ESPN.
"I know we didn't have quite the year at Western Michigan we wanted to with a team that was pretty young, but you always hear that scouts find talent. So I'm going to keep working hard and control the things I can control."
L.A. frame of mind
Hiller has gone from game-planning to beat Western Michigan opponents, to mapping out the best way to get ready for the draft combine and the NFL training camp he hopes follows.
In order to help take the next step, Hiller has moved to the Los Angeles area, hired sports agent Carter Chow and undertaken a rigorous training regimen.
"Tim has a lot of pluses, such as his size and intelligence and leadership qualities," said Chow, whose clients include three-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady of the Patriots and Saints head coach Sean Payton.
Asked what Hiller needs to work most on, Chow said, "Every QB has to work on simply refining their craft -- footwork, accuracy, etc."
Chow said one scout mentioned recently that Hiller reminded him of a young version of Brady, who wound up being a steal after New England got him in round six of the 2000 draft out of Michigan.
"That's just one man's opinion, though," Chow said. "Tim has his own game, and we feel he has his own great future ahead of him."
Hiller may not be a pro yet, but pros are all around him and some are working with him directly.
"The Home Depot Center in Carson (Calif.) where I'm training is a great facility," Hiller said. "Pro and college athletes work out there and even some Olympians.
"I'm working with a trainer on very different things than we did at Western Michigan. It's so specific to the combine, things like getting ready for the 225-pound bench press test. They've also brought in a sports psychologist from a university nearby to prepare us to talk to the scouts -- it's all a process."
Hiller has also visited UCLA on occasion, when Carter's father, Norm Chow, is the offensive coordinator. There, Hiller has been able to work on passing drills with other draft prospects from the Bruins, USC and Oregon.
Former BYU and Browns quarterback Ty Detmer has worked with Hiller on his mechanics and footwork. During the Texas vs. The Nation practices, Kosar was the quarterbacks coach.
"Tim had a very good week of practice in El Paso," Carter Chow said.
Hiller may not be in the NFL yet, but it is certainly all around him.
"The workouts and practices have been really great," Hiller said. "Everything is first class where I've trained."
The scouting report
Ask anyone who's followed Hiller's career about his strengths and they'll likely start with two things: Character and intelligence.
Hiller started a Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at Western and regularly led Bible studies with his fiancee, Michelle, at the campus.
In the classroom, he's never received a grade other than an A. The 4.0 student graduated in just three years with a sales and marketing degree and is just five classes shy of completing his masters in business administration.
That intelligence has carried over to the football field, where Hiller directed a complex offense for coach Bill Cubit at Western. There were ups and downs as a Bronco, as the team went 7-4, 5-7, 9-5 and, finally, 5-7 with Hiller at quarterback.
Hiller's arm strength and accuracy were positives for the Broncos, where he re-wrote just about every passing record there. He's the career record-holder for passing yards (11,329), completions (1,013), attempts (1,607) and touchdown passes (99).
Early in his career Hiller had the luxury of throwing to current NFL players Greg Jennings (Packers) and Tony Scheffler (Broncos), and had a record-setter in Jamarko Simmons after that. However, last season Hiller struggled at times (23 TD passes, 13 INTs, down from 36 scores and 10 picks as a junior) with a young supporting cast around him.
How well his right arm measures up to NFL standards, where windows to complete passes open and close much quicker, will be an important factor at the combine.
Scouts will also be interested to evaluate the mobility of Hiller, who underwent a right knee surgery at the end of his freshman season and a left knee procedure following his junior year. As a senior he admitted that the left knee was not altogether better, but said there are no longer any health issues.
"I have to say I feel 100 percent," said Hiller, who some scouts reported showed good mobility during practices in El Paso this week. "The trainers at Western did a phenomenal job helping me.
"I was able to maintain strength in the left knee last season and have built it up. I feel very fortunate to be healthy at the right time."
Enjoying the ride
Hiller said he's eagerly awaiting the Draft Combine and knows it's a huge opportunity.
"Any time you're in front of scouts, coaching staffs and GMs from every team in the league, obviously that's very important," he said. "The physical tests are important, but so are the interviews we'll be doing.
"Hopefully, I can separate myself from some other guys when it comes time to watch film or draw up plays on the white board. I'm fortunate to have had some great coaching at Western."
With each step of Hiller's athletic career he's remained extremely humble, one more characteristic some team may appreciate.
"It still seems weird to say that I have an agent," said Hiller, who hired Chow when it became apparent he could be drafted into the NFL.
Hiller's parents, Tom and Amy, along with younger brother Matthew, have supported Tim's career in an excited yet unpretentious manner.
"We appreciate the coverage, but don't readers get bored of stories about Tim?" his dad half-jokingly asked at a recent Orrville boys basketball game, before being stopped by several friends for updates on Tim.
Orrville athletic director Kent Smith said people throughout this area are following Hiller's career closely, and rooting him on.
"You'd be proud of anyone in Tim's situation, but he's also such a nice young man and person of character," Smith said.
Added Orrville head football coach Doug Davault, who was an assistant when Hiller was a high school record-setter for the Red Riders: "We're very excited about all that's going on.
"He is working his tail off as everyone would expect," Davault continued. "It's fun for not just Orrville fans, but everyone in the area. I know a lot of people are enjoying following what's going on for him.
"People are setting over-unders -- second round, third, fourth, what? They know he's going to be taken, they just don't know where."
If Hiller is picked, he'd be the first local since fellow Orrville alum Damian Vaughn was drafted in the seventh round by the Bengals in 1998. Vaughn made the team's practice squad and spent time in NFL Europe, but never appeared in a regular-season NFL game.
The last local to play in a regular-season game was Larry Kolic (Smithville, Ohio State) for the Dolphins from 1986-88.
Many variables will occur between now and the NFL Draft, and then training camp and next season's games.
Hiller may or may not be under contract by an NFL team a year from now. But the long odds of a boy watching the Super Bowl making it to the pros suddenly don't look so insurmountable in his case.
The NFL dream is looking more like a reality than ever for Tim Hiller.