81. Madre Hill: Rescuing a Program

The Hog Pod with Bo Mattingly

Sport & Story

Arkansas, Hogs, Sports, Razorbacks

4.8 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 7 October 2020

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In many ways, Madre Hill helped save Arkansas football. It’s no secret the Razorbacks struggled in their last years in the Southwest Conference and the SEC had proven to be a challenge. Enter Hill. Considered the top running back prospect in the nation after a record-setting career at Malvern High, he had offers from all the big-time programs. But he chose Arkansas because he wanted to help rescue the program. And when Hill got his chance as a sophomore, he was as good as advertised. He ran for what was then a school-record 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns, leading the Razorbacks to the SEC West title. But then…disaster. Hill tore his ACL in the SEC Championship Game and missed the 1996 season. Then, in the spring of ’97, he injured his OTHER knee. But he kept fighting, came back for the ’98 season and remarkably still made it to the NFL. It’s worth wondering what might have been had Hill not suffered those injuries. Perhaps he’d be alongside Darren McFadden as the best to ever wear a Razorback uniform. But Hill doesn’t dwell on the past. He’s grateful for the time he had helping to rescue the Razorbacks.

Transcript

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0:00.0	So Coach Ford comes in, sits down the couch and puts his foot up on the table.
0:06.4	Muddy boots. He says, I like big bats. He said, you're not a big bats and he says mmm I don't think you'll get a
0:16.0	thousand yards in the SEC and to know me is to always tell me what I can't do and if you tell me what I can't do. And if you tell me what I can't do, I'm Bo Mattingly and this episode is made
0:39.2	possible by our friends at Core Brewing Company. First Security Bank, Serra's in Resort, and Lindsay Golf.
0:46.5	In many ways, Madre Hill helped revive Arkansas football.
0:52.1	Arkansas football wasn't even a whisper.
0:55.2	I mean, it was dead.
0:57.6	It's no secret the Razorback struggled
0:59.7	in their last years in the Southwest Conference,
1:02.3	and the SEC had proven to be a challenge early
1:05.1	on.
1:06.1	Alabama just was the dominant team here offensively, defensively.
1:11.2	Enter Hill, considered the top running back prospect in the nation after a record
1:15.8	setting career at Malvern High School. He had offers from all the big time
1:20.5	programs but he decided to stay at home and be a razorback.
1:25.4	How do you hope razorback fans will remember Madre Hill?
1:29.0	The Savior of Football doing that time.
1:31.9	And when Hill got his chance as a sophomore he was as good as
1:35.9	advertised running for what was then a school record 1,385 yards to go with 15 touchdowns leading the razorbacks to an SEC Western
1:46.7	Division title. But then disaster.
1:54.0	Looks like he heard it even before he got hit on the artificial turf.
1:58.0	Hill tore as a COL in the SEC championship game and missed the entire 96 season.
	...

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