BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -
A year ago at this time, Jeremy Hill
and his promising football career were in serious limbo. Hill had just been
suspended indefinitely from the LSU team by head coach Les Miles, after he was
caught on video punching a man outside of a Tigerland bar and arrested on a
charge of simple battery.
"I supported and endorsed the
suspension; I was in total agreement with it," said Lisa Hill, Jeremy's
mother. "As I told Les Miles, I approve all authority. Putting him on
probation, I was 1,000 percent in support of it."
Hill would spend the summer
estranged from his teammates, unable to lift weights or participate in any
activities as the Tigers' 2013 season opener approached. Huge anxiety continued
to build, as the legal ramifications could've been devastating. Hill had
already been arrested in early 2011 on a charge of oral sexual battery. He
pleaded guilty in January 2012 to carnal knowledge of a juvenile, which is a
misdemeanor.
"I was never angry, because I
know who Jeremy Hill is," his mother continued. "Would I say Jeremy
didn't always make good decisions, that he used poor judgment sometimes? Sure.
But what mom, who's had a teenager, can't say that?"
Still, the world of Twitter and
social media had no mercy on the former Redemptorist star. Many fans and critics
felt Miles needed to let Hill go.
"As a parent, when you love
your child, you always want to defend them. But I understand that people have a
right to their own opinion. So trust me, I was never offended by anyone's
opinion. I think what hurts is when you hear lies and you know it's not the
truth and you have no power to change it. So in that situation, I think we both
learned to endure the pain and to hold our head up, because we know what the
truth is. When you know what the truth is, it empowers you to stand and that's
what we did," Lisa Hill explained.
Her son concurred.
"Always having a strong
relationship with God, leaning on him, praying every day, every night, that's
something we always did as a family during the tough times," said Jeremy Hill. "My
family has been a huge part of me sitting here today. And I would never take
any of that for granted."
Eventually, Hill would dodge jail time
again and be reinstated to the LSU squad in August. Miles took even more
national and local heat for "catering to the star running back."
Critics said he was only interested in winning football games. But Hill's
mother said that's hardly the case. She added without the guidance and
sternness of the coach, her son could've ventured even farther off course.
"I sing Coach Miles' praises. I
think he's an incredible man. I believe he's a man of integrity and of
character. I appreciated the way he supported Jeremy. And as a media person or
someone reading the paper, there are so many things you don't see that go on
behind closed doors, in the trenches, in the locker room, when he's up in their
faces, slapping them around, calling them names, getting them straight. So I
appreciate all of that. It really nurtured Jeremy and taught him to be a better
man," said Lisa Hill.
"He's a player's coach, that's
the biggest thing. He's going to have your back for everything," Hill
added about Miles.
Hill proceeded to have a tremendous
year, despite the fact he didn't play in the Tigers' 37-27 season opening
triumph against TCU. He would finish with a monstrous 1,401 yards rushing and
16 touchdowns. Hill's final game as a Tiger was nothing short of incredible,
powering his way to 216 yards and two scores in LSU's 21-14 win over Iowa in
The Outback Bowl. He's also steered clear of trouble and now awaits hearing his
name called during the NFL Draft.
"It has been very amazing. It's
been the highest of highs, the lowest of lows. Now we can take a deep breath
and enter into a new season of our lives. I'm extremely proud of him,"
Lisa Hill said reflecting on the journey.
Jeremy is also excited about what
lies ahead. He said many life lessons have been learned.
"I've made all the mistakes a
young man can make in his life. I've put that all behind me. I've gotten
nothing but good reviews from the NFL teams. I'm not really worried about all
of that stuff. It's all in the past and everyone is moving forward," he
said.
The NFL Draft starts at 8 p.m.
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2014 WAFB. All rights
reserved.
Pictured left to right: Lisa Hill (mother), Jeremy Hill and Irene Ranel (grandmother)
