On the same day former Baltimore Colts tight end John Mackey has his number retired at Syracuse, Navy will face a player who hopes to emulate the Hall of Famer considered to be the greatest player at his position.
Ball State tight end Darius Hill might not get the same attention as players from more high profile programs like Southern California, Florida and Louisiana State, but he could soon join many of his counterparts from those schools in the NFL.
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Hill is considered one of college football?s most talented tight ends, which is why the junior is a candidate for the Mackey Award, given annually to the best collegiate player at the position.
The 6-foot-6, 233-pounder enters today?s game at Navy with eight catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, a score which came during last Saturday’s 38-16 win over Mid-American Conference rival Eastern Michigan. Last season, Hill had 42 catches for 741 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“How good Darius can be has yet to be determined,” Ball State coach Brady Hoke said. “He is already a great receiver, but we still would like to see him do a better job blocking. At the same time, he is a football player we want to get the ball to in the red zone.”
Hill is also part of a solid Cardinals offense that is led by quarterback Nate Davis, who has thrown for 504 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. Also posing a threat for Navy’s defense is Dante Love, who has 15 catches for 194 yards and 3 touchdowns during the first two games.
The 6-foot-6, 233-pound Hill said he is continuing to work on his skills as a tight end after coming to BallState as a wide receiver out Blue Springs, Mo. He added he expects Navy to play disciplined defense even with a number of inexperienced players seeing significant playing time.
“I’m really focused this week not only on making sure I’m able to make plays with the ball, but that I also create opportunities for others when I don’t have the ball,” Hill said. “That’s been the biggest adjustment for me since I got here.”
