PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Dequalon Hill, L.D. Bell

Sport: Football

Position: Safety

Class: Junior

His story: Hill has been playing football since seventh grade, initially as a wide receiver and running back, but he found his calling in eighth grade. “I was way better on defense than offense, and that’s what I wanted to play,” he said. Now he’s preparing to lead the Bell defensive secondary in new head coach Mike Glaze’s first season at the helm. “Playing safety in our 4-2-5 scheme, he really has to get the back end of our defense lined up correctly,” Glaze said. To prepare for this level of responsibility, Hill has spent hours studying film, something he says he enjoys and that comes naturally to him: “I learn pretty quick,” he said. “I like to be in control of things, tell people where they need to be.” Hill wants to make the all-district team this season and be all-state in his senior season. He’s also participating in summer 7-on-7 competition and summer workouts, and on Wednesdays he trains with former Texas Tech, Jacksonville and San Francisco safety Darcel McBath, who is part of a volunteer program that helps high school athletes train.

Fun facts: “I love to dance – you can ask anybody on the team,” Hill said. He also loves to watch his father, an engineer, at work and thinks he might want to study engineering in college. Hill said his first choice for college would be the University of Texas at Austin.

He said: “I never try to hurt anybody, but it’s great to put a little pop on somebody sometimes, it’s good.”

Coach Glaze said: “He’s pretty fast back there, but I think more of his strength is just being able to tackle; being physical and aggressive. He’s kind of your prototype strong safety.”

This story was originally published June 29, 2015 at 2:26 PM with the headline "PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Dequalon Hill, L.D. Bell."