Hills Helping Out

In the toughest of times it can take a simple hello or a smile to really pick up someone’s spirits.

That was certainly the case when several Steelers players visited patients who were undergoing chemotherapy at Magee Women’s Hospital as a part of breast cancer awareness month.

“I think it’s absolutely wonderful,” said Sally Miller of Peters Township. “I was so surprised and shocked. I would have had my Steelers jersey on had I known. I always watch the games. I am a huge fan. This was great to see them. It can cheer up a long day of chemotherapy.”

And that is exactly what the players were hoping for. Deshea Townsend, Max Starks, Dennis Dixon and Tony Hills, all who have had someone close to them suffer from breast cancer, visited with the patients, including some who were there for the day to receive chemotherapy as well as others who were in-patients.

“For me it means a lot,” said Starks, whose mother Eleanor is a 15-year breast cancer survivor. “It’s affected all of us with women we love, admire and respect. For us to be able to give back, it’s a good feeling in our hearts to say hello and encourage them. We want to bring a smile to their face and let them know we are praying for them.”

There was laughter and tears, hugs and handshakes and plenty of football chatter throughout the afternoon.

“It was awesome,” said Elaine Durkac of Kittaning. “Anybody who goes through cancer isn’t having fun. Getting to meet these guys and the little bit of cheering up, we are going to carry this with us for days and talk to our friends about it. It’s really wonderful.”

While Starks is able to celebrate his mother’s survival, the others haven’t been as lucky. Both Townsend and Dixon lost their mother’s to breast cancer, while Hills lost his grandmother.

“For me it’s personal,” said Townsend, whose mother Lena died in 1999. “It’s the least I can do is to come out and try to make someone’s day and let them know someone is there that cares about them. When my mom was going through it she didn’t utilize all of the tools they have to get you through cancer. She kept it to herself. The more awareness we can create it will help a lot of people.

“It is heart wrenching to see what they are going through, but if you can take a moment and make them smile, it makes you feel a lot better and you hope it does the same for them.”

They often say that laughter is the best medicine and on this day, that was truly the case. Whether it be the patient who had been waiting for hours for her appointment, or one who had a hat that clearly stated how she feels about cancer, or another who took off her wig and looked at the positive side, realizing if not for her cancer she wouldn’t have met the players, it was healing for all.

“For the patients it’s a great thing,” said Dr. Adam Brufsky, co-medical director of Magee women’s breast cancer program. “With the stuff they have to go through, for them to have someone that they respect and watch every Sunday, especially in a town like Pittsburgh where the Steelers are so strong, I think it’s a really good thing for them.”

And not just for them. For the players, while it was tough, it was also healing.

“To see the people here continue to fight and to be able to give them some help means a lot,” said Hills, who lost his grandmother Lillian Lemons. “We had a lady we met that reminded me of my grandmother. That made it kind of hard. But it also brought a smile to my face seeing how happy us being here made her. That in turn made us happy. All we do is come here and say hi and when we leave they still have to fight this. To be able to give them smiles means a lot.”

Dixon lost his mother, Jueretta, while he was enrolled at Oregon and it definitely was emotional for him to visit with the patients, who he got plenty of strength from.

“I just think about what my mom went through,” said Dixon. “It’s tough for me but I want to be able to touch people in special ways, whether it’s small or big. In my eyes these people are my heroes and I look up to them.”

Ask Tony Hills

From Lou Ellis in Newark, New Jersey: What was it like waiting to be drafted?
Tony Hills: It was a long process. I felt relaxed though. I had piece of mind knowing the body of work I put in during my four years at Texas was about to pay off. I just was waiting to find out where I was going to be.

From Dan Abrahams in Elyria, Ohio: What was your reaction when you got the call from the Steelers telling you they drafted you?
Tony Hills: It was a sigh of relief. I was just thanking God that finally somebody called. When it was the Steelers I was really happy to be in that situation. The success they have had over the years, recently winning the Super Bowl and then Coach (Mike) Tomlin bringing them back to the playoffs. There was so much excitement going on in Pittsburgh so I was happy about that.

From Jamie Miller in Morgantown, West Virginia: Did you have any idea that they were interested in you beforehand?
Tony Hills: I did not. I spoke to them and had am meeting with them at the combine. They were one of my interviews. But I had a bunch of other interviews too so I tried not to read into it too much. When Coach (Larry) Zierlein came to work me out I thought maybe I could end up there.

From Jacob Biggerstaff in Normal, Illinois: Did having to wait until the fourth round give you any extra motivation to prove yourself?
Tony Hills: Definitely. You always play the game to be the best. It’s motivation, but so is just getting in there and proving myself and showing I belong there. I am going to go in there and do whatever I can to help the team.

From SSG Michael Molinaro stationed in Camp Liberty (Baghdad), Iraq: What was your favorite moment during your college career?
Tony Hills: When we beat Central Florida my senior year. We had a very young team. It was a game with a lot of adversity. I saw a lot of my teammates grow up in that game and make big plays. It was one of those things where you see all of your hard work pay off.

From Tom Kelly in Cranberry, Pennsylvania: Who in your opinion was the toughest opponent you faced?
Tony Hills: That’s a hard question to answer. As far as defensive ends were concerned they were all pretty good. I think Nathan Peterson from Oklahoma State gave me the most problems.

From Jake Kurnot in Dunbar, Pennsylvania: Now that you have gone through your first minicamp, what are your initial impressions of the Steelers offense?
Tony Hills: It’s a power offense. You know they are going to run the ball. As far as pass protection they use a system to where there is a lot of man-on-man blocking but you also have help from the interior guys and running backs. I can’t wait to get in and learn it. I am anxious to produce.

From Tom Grant in Chicago, Illinois: You protected Vince Young and college and Ben Roethlisberger is your quarterback. Both of them like to scramble and use their legs. What kind of adjustments do you have to make on the fly when your quarterback starts to improvise?
Tony Hills: It’s one of those things that you just have to find out how to read him. You see what the situation is, if they are blitzing off the edge does he like to duck under or try to outrun it. It just depends on who you are blocking. If he is a ducker you want to take the closest person to him. If he tries to scramble outside you might want to take the widest person. I have played with a lot of scrambling quarterbacks and it is something I am used to.

From Thomas Kross in Culpeper, Virginia: How quickly do you think you can adjust to the nuisances of the NFL - pass protection schemes, etc.?
Tony Hills: I am going to try to get adjusted as quick as possible. It’s a lot different from college. You get to spend all of your waking hours studying football. I am hoping by studying and working with the coaches and veteran players I can get it down fast.

From John Baloga in Dupont, Pennsylvania: It was documented that you had some lower leg circulatory problems that had been corrected by surgery. Are there any lingering effects of that injury that may limit your mobility?
Tony Hills: Not at all. I have been saying it for four years but the best way to show that I am fine is to go out and prove it.

From Chuck Dettling in Atmore, Alabama: How important is it to have your Texas teammate Limas Sweed, and Casey Hampton, also from your alma mater, on the team?
Tony Hills: It will definitely help a lot because you go in knowing some people. That helps with the comfort factor. Casey has been there, has been successful and knows the organization in and out. He can give me pointers on what I need to do to be success at this level. Then you have the comfort level of having your college teammate who you played with for four years and I lived with in the summer. We worked out together all of the time. It gives you that extra push and when times get hard you can lean on each other.

From Paul Lytle in Greensburg, Pennsylvania: What would you say is your strength, run blocking or pass protection?
Tony Hills: I am trying to make both of them my strengths right now. I try to be as balanced as I can because they are both important.

From Andrew Williams in Sarasota, Florida: Which side do you prefer to play on, the right on the left?
Tony Hills: Definitely the left because it is what I played the last four years. That is the quarterbacks blind side so it’s a lot of responsibility to make sure you protect him. I am always up to challenges.

From Ben Jewel in Louisville, Kentucky: Is it strange coming in as a rookie and basically starting over again like when you were a freshman?
Tony Hills: Definitely. I have never been in this situation before. I was never in Pittsburgh before mini-camp. You see how things are run for the couple of days that we are there. Everything was at a fast past. You get what you can on the fly and do the best you can. It will be a lot different in training camp when they have more time to spend with us.

Steelers Sign Hills

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed fourth round draft pick, Tony Hills, to a three-year deal on Thursday, reportedly for $1.45 million dollars, with a $304,500 signing bonus, according to scout.com. Hills played his college ball at the University of Texas.

The 6′6″, 305 lb lineman has dealt with severe injuries over his short football career. He had a career-threatening injury in his high school state championship game, that many thought he would never come back from. The Longhorns and the NCAA granted Hills a medical hardship in 2003, while he recovered from his knee reconstruction. By 2004 he was back on the team. By 2005, he was a top back-up on the line. By 2006, he was a starter. In 2007, Hills was receiving national recognition, that would ultimately see the big lineman drafted by the Steelers.

He was projected as a second rounder, before a broken leg late in 2007 ended his year, and his high draft status. The Steelers may have gotten a steal in the fourth round.

The real question about Hills won’t really be answered until we can see him play once he’s learned the offense. At 305, Hills isn’t close to what he’ll ultimately weigh in the NFL. Look for him to gain 10-20 pounds in the next year, as he lifts with the Steelers strength coaches. Overall, he has good strength and movement. He’s extremely quick, but really, still learning the game.

Snapshot: Tony Hills

The first one, well, he was able to deal with that. Now the second one, that was a little much for any man to overcome, even if he is a 6-foot-6, 300-plus pound Texas brute.
So you would have to excuse Steelers rookie left tackle Tony Hills for going into what he called ‘a funk’ for a little while after breaking his left ankle which needed six screws inserted into the bone to stabilize it just two games before the end of his collegiate career.

That funk very well could’ve been caused by the thought of those once almost guaranteed first or second-round dollars evaporating into late-round money.

Or it could’ve been caused by the thought of battling back from yet another devastating injury at the worst possible time.

Just a few years prior, Hills suffered a career-threatening knee injury that eventually led to a condition called ‘drop foot’ during his last high school game that put into question whether the University of Texas would honor its scholarship offer with the then all-state tight end.

Despite showing up to his official recruiting trip to Austin in January 2003 in a wheelchair and sporting a leg-length cast, Mack Brown honored his word and Hills did, too. And he turned into an All-America offensive tackle by his senior year.

“People say they have a respect for the game,” Hills said. “But until it’s almost taken away from you, you don’t understand.”

After fighting through what turned out to be two years worth of rehabbing of his knee that forced him to miss his freshman year at Texas, Hills figured the injuries were all behind him. Then came the ankle injury right before he was to turn pro.

“It was depressing,” Hills said. “I didn’t get to play my final game against Texas A&M and didn’t get to go to the Holiday Bowl and who knew what was going to happen with the draft.”

But, the Steelers drafted him in the fourth round. “I am right where I need to be,” he said. “The only thing I am thinking about now is the 34 fight and the 122 and 22 double. That is the only thing that is on my mind right now. Everything worked out for the best because I am here.”

Maybe Hills’ mental strength is why the Steelers equipment staff handed him No. 66, which was most recently worn by Alan Faneca.

“Hopefully over the long haul I can be half the player he is,” Hills said. “I was going to take whatever number they gave me. Once I got it, I knew who wore it last year, I knew I was going to keep it. I just plan on making it a number.”

Often times, players change numbers after making the team as a rookie, but not Hills.

“I don’t have any desire to change my number,” he said. “My main focus is to make sure I do what I am supposed to do. A number is just a number.”

His number very well could be No. 1 as in the No. 1 left tackle sooner rather than later. The Steelers have plans of Hills eventually taking over for Marvel Smith at left tackle possibly as soon as next year when Smith’s contract is up.

Hills is big at 6-6, but his quick feet and overall speed is what makes him so attractive to the Steelers. It is a skill Hills honed while playing soccer during his youth, and basketball as a teenager. Prior to giving up basketball his freshman year in high school, Hills was on the U.S. Junior National team.

“That has helped me with my mobility,” Hills said. “Soccer and basketball helped with quickness.”

But Hills knows he still has a lot to learn about playing offensive line. He’s started only 24 games there.

“I never really had a position,” Hills said. “I have been moving ever since midget league. I started out as a defensive tackle then I moved to defensive end then tight end then tackle. Who knows where I will be in the next couple of years? Hopefully I will still be playing left tackle.”

Tony Hills Q&A

Has your injury history held you back, including in this draft?

Well I know that there are a lot of things that the GMs and the coaches looked at and might have put up a red flag. If they followed my career and my history they would see that I have always been able to battle back from tough situations. Obviously Pittsburgh looked at it and paid attention to it and I am happy to be a Pittsburgh Steeler.

Can you explain what happened with the drop foot to us?

Sure. I got hurt in high school. I got hit in the leg and my perennial nerve was stretched causing a lack of mobility and then a loss of function in my foot. After my scar tissue removal surgery and after my MCL tear I regained full functions and I guess the rest is history.

Are you healthy and back to normal then?

I am definitely healthy. I am still working on getting all of my lower body strength back. That is something that I am going to go in there and work on as well as just doing what I can to help the team.

What do you see yourself as, a left or a right tackle?

I definitely prefer the left side. That is what I have been playing. I am willing to do whatever it takes in order to pay my dues and help the team in any form or fashion. I definitely feel that I am athletic enough to play left tackle in this league.

They say it is difficult to come back from that kind of injury. How difficult was it for you to come back from the drop foot injury?

That is what I was told but I definitely didn’t have any difficulty coming back. Once I got full functions back into the leg, from there we went on to building me up and getting me stronger; a lot of lower body lifting and total body lifting in general.

Are you going to come up with Limas?

I definitely am. I was on the verge of calling him. I thought I should wait a minute and keep this line open, I know you guys wanted to call me.

What’s he (Limas) like?

He’s a heck of a player on the field, he is a hard worker, he has a lot of heart. He likes to be called on in pressure situations. We are very similar in the way we play the game. We play the game with passion. I’m just fortunate and blessed to be able to go to the same organization with somebody that I came up through college with.

What do you think that he would say you’re like?

Pretty much the same things, just a hard-nosed football player. I love the physicality of the position that I play. I just want to help the team get better and I love to win.

I guess the Cowboys are America’s Team in your mind?

That’s what they say. Right now I’m just enjoying being part of the Pittsburgh organization.

I feel like they have a great team and I just want to be part of it.

The Steelers are pretty much reviled down in your neck of the woods.

Actually we have a couple of Steelers fans in the house. My uncle is a huge Steelers fan. I watched them since Coach Tomlin has been there. They are going in the right direction for what they stand for with their lunch pail type of attitude. That is the same type of attitude that I have. It’s been a pleasure watching those guys go out and work. I am just glad I can be part of the organization.