(Alfonso Yec/The Beacon)
By Brandon Wise/ Asst. Sports Director
brandon.wise@fiusm.com
In his last chance to show pro scouts what he was made of, T.Y. Hilton was forced to play with an injured quadricep that did not allow him to play at his highest level. Today, he finally got his second chance.
And he did not disappoint.
On his first run of the 40-yard dash, Hilton ran a blazing 4.36, which would have tied for the best time if it had been run at the NFL Combine. Hilton noted that the scouts were impressed by his performance.
“Coming from an injury in the bowl game, they said I did really well,” Hilton said. “They said they could see me playing in the National Football League.”
When it came time for Hilton to catch passes from his quarterback Wesley Carroll, he only dropped one pass. On what would be his final catch of the day, Hilton caught the pass but began to wince. Then, he spiked the ball as hard as he could against the wall in agony.
“I started cramping in that area. The coaches told me to just shut it down”
Not only did all the scouts take notice, but also his dad, Tyrone Hilton, was excited to see him back in action.
“Its very interesting because he’s been hurt since the bowl game and to see him out here running full speed for the first time since then,” Hilton said. “To run a 4.3 (40) that’s pretty good.”
Before the day got started, the elder Hilton gave his son some fatherly advice.
“I just told him to play within yourself,” Hilton said. “All the people that’s out here, all the teams out here, don’t worry. Just be within yourself.”
Hilton did just that, performing as he did the past four seasons at FIU, to the max.
His father wishes that his son could end up on his favorite team, the Oakland Raiders, but he knows that he has no control over it
“My team is the Raiders,” Hilton said with a chuckle. “But whatever team he goes to, I know he’s going to bring some quality, some explosiveness to the slot receiver position.”
(Alfonso Yec/The Beacon)
Hilton now begins his opportunity to visit with the different teams around the country. He will be heading the New England, Kansas City, and Philadelphia in the coming weeks for individual workouts.
His dad knows that this is only the beginning of an extremely long process.
“It’s going to get crazy after this day,” Hilton’s father said.
Represent yourself and FIU well, TY! Thanks for all the memories and get that paypah.