CINCINNATI, Ohio — The state of college football and college athletics is much different than even just five years ago. With the addition of name, image and likeness and increased pressure from coaches, boosters and social media, it’s even more stressful for these student athletes to pick a school to play for the next four years.
What You Need To Know
- Justin Hill is a four-star recruit from Winton Woods High School outside of Cincinnati
- With 30 offers from Division I programs, Hill was under a lot of pressure on his decision
- Hill decided on the University of Alabama over Ohio State, Oregon and USC
- Hill said he had to keep the decision to himself in order to make the right one for him
In the hours before announcing his decision, Winton Woods High School four-star edge rusher Justin Hill explains his recruiting process at his home, narrowing down 30 offers to just one.
“My mom doesn’t know, my dad doesn’t know," Hill said.
Hill is making the decision on his own and keeping it a secret until the big moment.
“I was able to sleep last night, surprisingly," he said. "But yeah, just, obviously there's going to be stress there. I feel like I made the right decision. Only time will tell.”
And the recruiting never stops. Hill was getting calls from boosters, coaches and past players just hours before his announcement. Hill knows the game is no longer what it used to be.
“College football is a business," Hill said. "It’s no longer just a fun game we played in high school.”
But thanks to the guidance from his parents, he feels ready to make that decision.
“I’m an emotional person and I get real teary eyed," Emily Herzog, Hill's mom, said. "And that's why Justin always look at me like, mom, no, because I'll get all choked up. So I am really trying not to for his sake.”
Packing up the hats, and one last hug from mom, Hill was out the door.
With the hats all in place at Winton Woods, it was time to share his news, but not before feeling the weight of the decision and who has helped him get here.
“My parents, mom, dad, I love you man," Hill said in an emotional speech before his announcement. "Ya’ll do everything for me. Ya’ll do everything for me.”
And the college is….
“University of Alabama, Roll Tide!” Hill said with a big smile.
No one happier than his mom and Winton Woods head coach, Chad Murphy.
“When he started those tears of joy, you know, up there at that podium, Coach Murphy started his tears of joy in the audience, you know, as well," Murphy said. "Just just couldn't be happier for him, for who he is and what he represents.”
Hill says sharing the news is a relief, something he only decided on the night before but wanted to get the spotlight off of him before his senior year.
“This is a dream since I was a kid," Hill said. "I might even start tearing up right now. Just thinking about it, because I ain't planning to cry. I literally did not want to. But, you know, it comes with the hard work being put in it and really, just everything coming full circle.”
While the emotions are obvious, it's not the end of this journey for Hill, just another reminder of the pressure that these kids deal with day in and day out.
“Everybody wants this kind of attention," Murphy said. "But then when it becomes the kind of attention that guys like those received, it just becomes so overwhelming, and I know they were glad to kind of see it come to an end, but it's not over.”
“It’s going to come down to you and what you want," Hill said. "And I just see myself striving down in Tuscaloosa more than anywhere else. And that's what made me want to make that decision.”