pointman Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2014/05/26/stephen-hill-touts-growth-literal-mental-offseason/ As a football player, Stephen Hill says he’s spent this offseason growing. But physically, the Jets wide receiver is still growing too. The wide receiver looked to be improving during last season’s training camp after a rookie season marred by mistakes and dropped passes. He was drafted as a raw wide receiver out of an option offense at Georgia Tech, and he was supposed to grow by leaps and bounds in his second season. But the results were mixed for Hill. Part of the problem was a knee injury which ended his season after his strong start. “I’ve been working hard this offseason — working hard to make sure I stay healthy, getting my legs stronger, squatting more than I have in two years now,” Hill told Metro. “It’s getting better. [i'm] just happy to be back here, getting back to OTAs. “Basically it’s just a learning curve. Learning, you know, during my rookie season, having so much on my plate. I really didn’t know much. Last year, the learning curve, it helped me out a lot. Being out here especially with [offensive coordinator] Marty Mornhinweg and [wide receivers] coach Sanjay [Lal], they stay on me like two mad dogs.” RELATED ARTICLES Geno Smith makes interesting fashion choice with towel headband Jets rookie Calvin Pryor takes trash talk to another level President Obama is mean because he forgot Brandon Browner Due to last year ending with a whimper, it is easy to think Hill regressed in his second season. But in the first three games of 2013, he had 13 receptions for 233 yards and a touchdown. Then, his form tapered off, including a three-game stretch during the middle of the year where he was booed and criticized by Jets fans for failing to register one catch. Of course, during that three-game drought he also wasn’t targeted. But even though he went through a down stretch and ended the season early with a knee injury, Hill still registered more catches and receiving yards in 2013 than during his rookie year. Now he heads into this pivotal offseason needing to prove himself again. He has spendt the past few months getting stronger and rehabbing, but also improving his technique. He didn’t drop many passes last year but he struggled to find separation against elite cornerbacks. Hill’s grown as a player, but literally as well. “Well physically, I grew an inch-and-a-half the past few months,” Hill said. “I am just 23. I was 6-foot-3 and some change. Now [i am] over 6-foot-4 — definitely added some muscle as well.” There will be pressure on him, especially with whispers that he might not even make the team. The Jets brought in a marquee wide receiver in Eric Decker via free agency and added veteran Jacoby Ford. They also selected three wide receivers in the NFL Draft. “It makes me come out there and get better,” Hill said. “There’s a lot of competition coming out there. These guys are pretty good wide receivers. That’s not my problem. I’m just coming out there to do what I got to do to make the team. “I can’t play like Eric Decker, I can only play like Stephen Hill.” Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer. - See more at: http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2014/05/26/stephen-hill-touts-growth-literal-mental-offseason/#sthash.mSR9fyHU.dpuf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larz Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 an inch and a half in a few months ? somebody moved the line on the bathroom door, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RutgersJetFan Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Plot twist: He was given that nickname the day of his bris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbatesman Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I hope he's grown spiritually, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I hope he's grown spiritually, too. The coveted trifecta of growing is so hard to pull off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetknowledge Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I thought he was 6"4, 6"5 already? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 “Well physically, I grew an inch-and-a-half the past few months,” Hill said. “I am just 23. I was 6-foot-3 and some change. Now [i am] over 6-foot-4 — definitely added some muscle as well.” Que?[wtf?] Grasping at straws here? I think he's shot, or Dyer's trying to get on the Madoosh Mehta train, maybe get his job... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New York Mick Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I keep forgetting he's only 23 when I rag on how bad he is. There's still a chance he can be good with the right coaching and QB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoicsentry Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 If the light turns on for him this season, we might actually have a decent offense. It's not likely but hey, it could happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetlife33 Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Hill had a real good start to the season last year until the nagging injuries slowed him down. It's amazing though how he literally disappears for games at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetsFanInDenver Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 He wont be cut. He is playing out his rookie deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SenorGato Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Cog in the Geno machine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gastineau Lives Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Wait til puberty hits. He's gonna be a monster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenseed4 Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 He was "6'3 and some change" "Grew and inch-and-a-half" Now he's "over 6'4".... Hopefully his catching is better than his math...sounds to me like he just grew some more change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j4jets Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 He was "6'3 and some change" "Grew and inch-and-a-half" Now he's "over 6'4".... Hopefully his catching is better than his math...sounds to me like he just grew some more change. If he was 6'3 and 1/8, and grew 1.5 inches, he'd be at 6'4 and 5/8. Nothing wrong with that math at all, although he could be exaggerating with the inch-and-a-half comment. A 23 year old growing 1.5 inches with in a few months is rare. Im 5'10 and I stopped growing when I was 16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelticwizard Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Damn. J4jets just said everything I was going to say. I wasted too much time looking up which fonts carry the eighths on Character Map. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelticwizard Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I think Bill Walton said that in his junior year in high school he shot up several inches. 23 is a little old. I wonder if starting HGH could cause that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32EBoozer Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I think Bill Walton said that in his junior year in high school he shot up several inches. 23 is a little old. I wonder if starting HGH could cause that? I think it's all the "CROW" this young man has had to eat over the past 2 years. Hopefully this is the year he shoves that crow down my throat and most everyone on this board. If this young man can learn the position and use these physical gifts he can be special. In the end, though, all the physical tools can't do squat if you can't figure out where you need to be on the football field and having the concentration and determination to win his matchup. #VERNONDAVIS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slats Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I keep forgetting he's only 23 when I rag on how bad he is. There's still a chance he can be good with the right coaching and QB. He came in as a project. He had one season with Sporano at OC and Sanchez at QB -who we all agree were terrible- and then had to learn a new offense with a new QB in his second year. And he looked improved last year, despite the fact that Geno was horrible. I wouldn't write him off, and I'd be really surprised if the Jets did. I think he's the front-runner to start opposite Decker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32EBoozer Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 He came in as a project. He had one season with Sporano at OC and Sanchez at QB -who we all agree were terrible- and then had to learn a new offense with a new QB in his second year. And he looked improved last year, despite the fact that Geno was horrible. I wouldn't write him off, and I'd be really surprised if the Jets did. I think he's the front-runner to start opposite Decker. Exactly. Not as if Calvin Johnson could have thrived with our QB play in his first 2 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Jets fan Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 This is a guy everyone likes to jump up and down on. He is only 23 with two years of experience. This will be his second year in the same offence. He needs to show some improvement this year. I like that there are plenty of other WR nipping at his heels. Time to put up or get cut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latinlawyer Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Bottom line is, the guy has to produce this year, if not then he will step aside and others will. The season will not hinge on Hill's production or lack of it. If all his "growth" doesn't add up on the field he will be gone. I hope some of that growth occurred on his knees so that he can actually last a full season. LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New York Mick Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Hopefully one of the coaches tells him to keep his ******* eyes open when he's catching the damn ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#27TheDominator Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I think there was an article last year where Mornhinweg said he felt bad because Hill had knee soreness all year and they kept riding him in practice because so many guys kept getting dinged and went down during the course of the year. Particularly in practice, I think they said instead of limiting him, they gave him full days constantly because guys were hurt or slouches like Holmes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 It would be great if he could turn into something. Granted what we know now is different from what we wished 2 years ago, but he was drafted to be our #1 in time not a complementary piece. There have been some pretty unproductive WRs for whom the light just went on from out of nowhere (from the fans' perspectives). Look at Miles Austin. Granted, injuries robbed him of a consistently productive career. But just looking him up by the #s, he came into the league in 2006. Entering the 2009 season he had 18 catches for 350 yards over his 3-year career. Then in '09, without the benefit of starting 10 games, he exploded like T0mShane on a Darrell Bevell poster. Interesting side note about him, for those who don't remember. Tannenbaum tried to trade for him before the '09 draft, but backed out because Dallas wanted our 2nd round pick. I can understand not pulling the trigger on that, given his dearth of actual production in 3 NFL seasons, but it would have been nice. In particular since we wouldn't have had enough trade ammo left to move all the way up to #5 for Sanchez. Anyway, Austin did less than Smith until his 4th season. The guy he couldn't bump out of the #2/starting job for the latter 2 years (and the first 6 games of his 4th season) was Patrick Crayton. Not an untalented guy, but clearly Crayton was displaceable. Roy Williams also, but that one was tougher given the team's massive investment in him (#1, #3, #6 picks plus a $54M contract with half of it guaranteed -- ouch). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#27TheDominator Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Robert Meachem keeps getting contracts and even if the light never goes on for HIll, he is fairly comparable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonehands Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 He probably measured himself in his shoes this time. I have to hand it to him, he will be the best physical specimen on the unemployment line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arsis Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I lost 40 pounds and grew an inch and a half as well. Still the same height though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirlancemehlot Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I remember watching him at the games in the latter half of the season and trying to figure out if he was gimpy or just had a weird gait to his walk. Even between plays he seemed to be taking short, hobbled steps. Wonder if his knee issue was mishandled last season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villain The Foe Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 It would be great if he could turn into something. Granted what we know now is different from what we wished 2 years ago, but he was drafted to be our #1 in time not a complementary piece. There have been some pretty unproductive WRs for whom the light just went on from out of nowhere (from the fans' perspectives). Look at Miles Austin. Granted, injuries robbed him of a consistently productive career. But just looking him up by the #s, he came into the league in 2006. Entering the 2009 season he had 18 catches for 350 yards over his 3-year career. Then in '09, without the benefit of starting 10 games, he exploded like T0mShane on a Darrell Bevell poster. Interesting side note about him, for those who don't remember. Tannenbaum tried to trade for him before the '09 draft, but backed out because Dallas wanted our 2nd round pick. I can understand not pulling the trigger on that, given his dearth of actual production in 3 NFL seasons, but it would have been nice. In particular since we wouldn't have had enough trade ammo left to move all the way up to #5 for Sanchez. Anyway, Austin did less than Smith until his 4th season. The guy he couldn't bump out of the #2/starting job for the latter 2 years (and the first 6 games of his 4th season) was Patrick Crayton. Not an untalented guy, but clearly Crayton was displaceable. Roy Williams also, but that one was tougher given the team's massive investment in him (#1, #3, #6 picks plus a $54M contract with half of it guaranteed -- ouch). Good points Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointman Posted May 27, 2014 Author Share Posted May 27, 2014 He probably measured himself in his shoes this time. I have to hand it to him, he will be the best physical specimen on the unemployment line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelticwizard Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 . he exploded like T0mShane on a Darrell Bevell poster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crusher Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Did his hands grow any? Like maybe an extra finger or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaJetsFan Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Exactly. Not as if Calvin Johnson could have thrived with our QB play in his first 2 years The difference is - Calvin can actually "receive" a football. Ole Slippery Hands Hill has a penchant for the "dropsies!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadetree Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Who grows 1.5 inches at age 23?? Keep your mouth shut and take advantage of the little oppty you'll have early in camp, Manute Bol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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