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Brenden Hill could have seen his college opportunity go down the drain. Instead, he's a standout on defense, and a graduate. Date published: 12/27/2006
By JIM McCONNELL
BLACKSBURG--Marcus Vick and Brenden Hill arrived at Virginia Tech more than five years ago as immature, headstrong teenagers, best friends who figured it was only a matter of time before they became big-time college football superstars. Instead, both spent more time navigating the halls of justice than scoring touchdowns. Vick's well-documented on- and off-field transgressions eventually led to his dismissal from the football program in January. Hill avoided a similar fate after two brushes with the law, but seemed destined to join his former high school teammate as an ignominious blip in the Hokies' gridiron history. In Vick's absence, however, Hill has flourished--becoming the impact player, leader and man he always knew he could be. Heading into Saturday's Chick-fil-A Bowl against Georgia, Hill, the whip (outside) linebacker, is the No. 4 tackler on the nation's top defense. His size, speed and athleticism remind NFL scouts of former teammate and current Carolina Panthers linebacker James Anderson. And on Dec. 15, when he walked across a stage in Cassell Coliseum while tears streamed from his mother's eyes, he earned a title Vick didn't stick around long enough to secure: Virginia Tech graduate. "What I'm hoping to see is [players] have a good football career, get their degree and their life after [college] is good," Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. "Brenden is certainly going in that direction. That's kind of the enjoyment of coaching, to see guys come along and look like their life is going to be good." Hill's redemption has been a long-term project. Before this year, the easygoing 22-year-old was best known for an infamous January 2004 party, after which he, Vick and Mike Imoh were arrested for providing alcohol to a trio of underage girls. All three players were charged with multiple counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Hill agreed to a plea deal that included probation, a $100 fine and 24 hours of community service. He was also suspended for the first three games of the 2004 season. In June 2005, a judge extended Hill's probation and tacked on 75 more hours of community service after Hill tested positive for marijuana.
Date published: 12/27/2006
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