Madre Hill facts for kids
Hill waves while being honored as an SEC Football Legend on the field at Razorback Stadium
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| No. 34, 23 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Halfback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | January 2, 1976 Malvern, Arkansas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 199 lb (90 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Malvern (AR) | ||||||||
| College: | Arkansas | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1999 / Round: 7 / Pick: 207 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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Madre Hill (born January 2, 1976) is a former American professional football player. He was a running back who played for teams like the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League (NFL). Many people think he is one of the best running backs from the University of Arkansas. In 1995, he was named first-team All-SEC. He was also part of the Razorbacks' best team of the 1990s.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Madre Hill grew up in Malvern, Arkansas. He started playing organized football when he was very young. He was so good that leagues had to make special rules to make games fair for his opponents!
The "Madre Hill Rule"
When he played youth football, Madre scored almost every time he touched the ball. This made games very lopsided. So, a rule was made that limited him to three touchdowns if his team was ahead by more than fourteen points. This rule was called the "Madre Hill Rule." It was brought back in 2011 for another player who was also dominating games.
High School Success
Hill went to Malvern High School. There, he ran for a state record of 6,010 yards and scored 68 touchdowns. In his senior year, he set another state record with 2,863 rushing yards. He led Malvern to win the Class AAA State Championship in 1993. In that championship game, he ran for over 200 yards!
After his senior year, Hill was named the Reebok National High School Player of the Year. He was also named All-American by USA Today and Blue Chip Illustrated. He received these honors twice from each publication. Hill was also the Gatorade Circle of Champions Player of the Year for Arkansas. He was chosen for All-State and All-District teams three times.
College Career at Arkansas
Hill played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks from 1994 to 1998. He missed the 1996 and 1997 seasons because he tore a ligament in each knee.
Freshman Year (1994)
As a freshman, Hill ran for 351 yards. He also tied a school record with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. This happened in a game against the LSU Tigers.
Amazing 1995 Season
In 1995, Hill had an incredible season. He was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC). He set new school records for rushing attempts in one game (45 against Auburn). He also set a record for rushing touchdowns in one game (6 against South Carolina).
Hill set the school's single-season record for rushing yards (1,387) and rushing attempts (307). These records stood until Darren McFadden broke them in 2006 and 2007. Hill helped the Razorbacks reach the SEC Championship Game that season. Unfortunately, he got a knee injury early in that game and couldn't play much more. The Razorbacks lost the game and later the Carquest Bowl without him.
Return in 1998
In 1998, Hill came back after two years away due to injuries. He helped the Razorbacks achieve a 9–3 record. They tied for first place in the SEC West Division. Hill rushed for 669 yards and seven touchdowns that season. Arkansas played against a Michigan team led by Tom Brady in the Florida Citrus Bowl.
Arkansas Razorbacks Legacy
Madre Hill was named to the Arkansas Razorbacks All-Decade Team for the 1990s. He finished his college career with 2,407 rushing yards. This places him tenth all-time at the university. His 25 rushing touchdowns are sixth in school history. He also had eight games where he rushed for over 100 yards.
A local artist, Nancy Couch, painted a picture of two Razorback football players. They were running behind a group of charging razorbacks. The coach, Houston Nutt, chose Brandon Burlsworth and Madre Hill to be the players in the painting. This painting hangs in the Broyles Athletic Center at the University of Arkansas.
Professional Football Career
Madre Hill was chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL draft. He played two seasons with the Browns. In 1999, he played five games as a kick returner. He returned 8 kicks for 137 yards. He spent the 2000 season on injured reserve because of a neck injury.
NFL Europe and World Bowl
In 2001, Hill played in NFL Europe for the Berlin Thunder. He was the team's best rusher with 388 yards. He also caught 15 passes for 295 yards. He returned 7 kicks for 98 yards and scored four touchdowns. The Thunder won World Bowl IX that season. Hill helped lead the team to victory in that game.
NFL Return
Hill's great performance in NFL Europe helped him get a contract with the San Diego Chargers in 2001. He was signed to help while another player, LaDainian Tomlinson, was holding out. But he was released after Tomlinson signed with the team. Hill's last professional season was with the Oakland Raiders in 2002. He was part of the Raiders team that played in Super Bowl XXXVII. They lost that game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After Playing Football
After his playing career, Madre Hill returned to the University of Arkansas. In 2004, he worked as a graduate assistant for head football coach Houston Nutt. In 2005, he became the running backs coach at the University of South Carolina. He also coached running backs at Florida International University in 2006. In 2011, Hill started his own company called RazorClean Inc.
In 2015, the Southeastern Conference named Hill one of fifteen SEC Football Legends. He was honored before the 2015 SEC Championship Game. In 2017, Hill was inducted into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor. He was also inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. Many people consider him the best running back for the Razorbacks in the 1990s. He is also seen as one of the greatest high school running backs in Arkansas history.
See also
- Arkansas Razorbacks football
- Berlin Thunder
