Love of football kept Wyoming’s Brian Hill off mean streets

Wyoming running back Brian Hill grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, which has long ranked among the world’s most dangerous cities with the highest murder rate in the United States at 101 per 100,000 residents.

To help keep her son out of trouble, Hill’s mother, Tamara Lewis, essentially paid him to play youth football, giving him five dollars for every touchdown and sack he produced.

“I was more focused on playing video games at that point in my life than going out and doing stuff, so she had to bribe me,” Hill said.

Her plan worked, though she had to shell out $35 for one game in which Hill had four touchdowns and three sacks. Hill soon fell in love with the sport and has put up video game-like numbers for Wyoming (7-2, 5-0 Mountain West), which will play UNLV (3-6, 2-3) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.

The junior is third in the nation in rushing with 1,298 yards and tied for sixth in the country in rushing touchdowns with 13. He exploded for a career-high 289 yards and three touchdowns in an Oct. 22 win over UNR. Last season, when he finished ninth in the nation in rushing (1,631 yards), Hill ran for 232 yards and a 72-yard score on a career-high 35 carries in a 35-28 win over UNLV.

“He’s relentless as a runner,” Cowboys coach Craig Bohl said. “He’s got good vision, he has the ability to find a crack, and he’s patient. When I use the word relentless, he’s running with a sense of purpose every time as opposed to just gaining yards.

“The biggest thing he’s got is a combination of speed and power. You find guys that are fast but not powerful, and others that may be big but are not as fast.”

Bohl said the 6-foot-1-inch, 219-pound Hill’s time in the 40-yard dash is faster when someone’s chasing him on the field.

“He’s an ultracompetitive guy,” he said. “He’s got a heart as big as the state of Wyoming.”

A standout on both sides of the ball in high school, Hill was recruited mostly as a defender. But Bohl — who recruited Hill’s cousin, linebacker Pierre Gee-Tucker, to Football Championship Subdivision power North Dakota State before taking the Wyoming job — wanted Hill as a running back.

“I wanted to play safety, but I did not want to play linebacker at all, so if there was a chance I’d play linebacker, I’d rather play running back,” Hill said. “Thankfully that worked out in my favor. (Bohl) definitely made an impression on me before just because my cousin talked him up so much and had so much respect for him.

“It just all came together when he moved to a bigger school. He explained how running back would be the focal point of the offense, and I liked what I was hearing.”

Hill made an instant impact as a true freshman, compiling 387 all-purpose yards (281 rushing, 106 receiving) in a game against Fresno State.

But he said his only goal is to win.

“I’ll get mad if I lose a Madden (video) game to this day,” he said.

Wyoming went 6-18 in Hill’s first two seasons at the school before starting 7-2 this season.

“And I remember all the games. It was just hard coming in and losing a lot,” he said. “I hate losing more than I love winning.”

UNLV coach Tony Sanchez said the key to Saturday’s game will be stopping Hill, whom he puts in the same elite category as San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey, a smaller back from Canyon Springs High School who leads the nation in rushing (1,581 yards).

“They’re both just as good in different ways,” Sanchez said. “(Hill’s) more of your traditional, downhill, big runner. He’s a guy I would have to believe would get a great opportunity to play on Sundays. He’s got that right physical frame and style to do so.”

If Hill makes it to the NFL, he should send his mother a check every time he scores a touchdown.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.