HAILSTATEBEAT: How Kylin Hill, Willie Gay, Jr., Earned Roles As True Freshmen
September 07, 2017 | HailStateBEAT
In fact, the two State signees wanted to be ready so badly that when the Bulldogs started spring practice in March, Hill and Gay would go straight from their workouts at SHS over to MSU's practices at the Seal Complex. They couldn't participate in practice, of course, but as signees, they were allowed to come and go as they pleased. Two of the top-ranked players in the state, Gay and Hill weren't content to rely on talent alone. They went to every practice, watching and listening so they could learn and get familiar with how things ran. After practice, they'd hang out in the locker room with their future teammates. After that, they'd go talk to their coaches about what they saw at practice and how it applies to them.
Many days, the pair would be at MSU's team facility from one in the afternoon until nine at night, just trying to soak in as much as they could.
"We thought we should just come up here more and look at how everything worked, how the game speed looked, so that when we come here we could adjust to it and be ready to go," Hill said.
"I loved coming up here to watch and see what the life of a college athlete really is," Gay added.
Certainly, each of the players was going to have a good chance to play as a true freshman in 2017 given the combination they both have of size, speed and strength. Hill, a running back, is one the highest-rated rushers to sign with MSU in years, and Gay is one of the most promising linebacker prospects the state of Mississippi has produced lately. However, both of them expressed a desire to not only get on the field, but to be active contributors and big pieces for their respective sides of the ball.They were able to do that and more in their first game, as both of them were starters on special teams, lining up next to each other on kickoffs in addition to their roles on standard offensive and defensive downs. Hill was given nine carries in MSU's season opener against Charleston Southern and he rushed for 62 yards on those, including a 19-yard scamper on his first rush, as he led the team with a whopping 6.9 yards per carry.
"I ain't gonna lie, I was kind of nervous when I was running," Hill confessed. "I was thinking too much. I know I should've scored. But it was exciting."
Gay, meanwhile, played extensively himself and notched two tackles, including one particularly nice tackle for loss.
"Willie did a good job," defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. "He went in and understood the calls, could communicate coming off the sidelines or coming over to the sidelines after a series. He can run. His ability to run and accelerate showed up."
Beyond their performance and their natural talent, Hill and Gay have also gained an unusual amount of respect from older players on the team, due largely in part to their willingness to work.
Senior linebacker and team captain Dez Harris, who said he expects Gay to be freshman All-SEC this year and an All-American by the end of his career, was first impressed not by the young man's talent, but by his eagerness and work ethic when he showed up every day in the spring.
"It definitely helped just for the guys on the team to get to see his face and know who he is and know that he's willing to work," Harris said. "He's been here and he didn't have to be here. He's been here trying to learn the defense, learn what he's going to have to do, learn what his role is going to be. Knowing that he was willing to make that sacrifice when he wasn't even on campus, that's a big deal."
The same held true for Hill as evidenced after Saturday's game when junior and starting running back Aeris Williams was borderline gleeful as he talked about the performance of his backup. Rather than feeling threatened by another running back having success, Williams was thrilled to see hard work pay off for the true freshman.
"I know what he can do. When he gets out there on the field, I tell him to just calm down and make his plays because he's a great athlete," Williams said. "He's powerful. That man is just strong. He came in strong."
For Hill and Gay to continue the accelerated path of success they're on, the two will have to maintain their work ethic, at the very least, and the hardest work is likely still to come. However, their early results have shown what can come through dedication and determination.
It's a cliché of coaching to say that hard works beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. But at Mississippi State, Gay and Hill are trying to show their coaches what can happen when you mix talent and hard work.
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