BY: Logan Carney
For those that were unaware, I have recently accepted a position writing about and scoring Pittsburgh Flag Football Association games on Sundays. It’s a fun job that also allows me to connect with many former WPIAL and collegiate athletes for interviews. My first of this bunch is from Brandon Hill, who doesn’t just play in the PFFA but also in flag football leagues and tournaments across the country.
Hill’s experience in football started before his flag football days. He grew up in McKeesport, but played high school football at Elizabeth Forward. He is perhaps more notable for his track and field career there though when he set records in the 100 M (11.75 seconds) and 200 M (24.66 seconds) both of which have since been broken.
He said it was bitter-sweet that his records had been broken. Sweet, that someone can be that fast at his alma mater, but bitter because of the competitive fire that still sits in his belly. Regardless he still sits in third place in both events and finds himself on the leaderboards.
In fact, it was track and field that led him to Bethany College, a Division-III institution in Bethany, WV. After being recruited to run track, he decided to also play football. He talked to his coach, who was also an assistant coach for the football team, and he decided to try his hand as a dual athlete in college.
The difficulty of being a student-athlete in one sport is tough and Hill decided against trying his hand at two after his second season. Though the option to go back to track and field was always there, it was football that he continued to play throughout college. Enough so that by his junior year he was splitting time in the backfield when Bethany College beat D-III powerhouse Washington and Jefferson for the first time in school history.
Now though, Hill plays flag football around the country. Playing flag football has kept him in athlete shape without having to risk a major injury playing tackle football.
It’s also kept him busy during the pandemic. While sports have been shut down across the country, a lot of flag football tournaments and leagues have been able to continue playing. Hill considers himself lucky that his life hasn’t been affected too much by COVID-19 as he recognizes how difficult things have been for others.
He credits the two women in his life, his mother and his current girlfriend, for helping him get to where he is. Him and his girlfriend have bonded significantly during the pandemic, as they have been able to spend a lot of time together. As for his mom, it was her that was at every sporting event growing up.
It was the mention of his mom that changed his tone during the interview. For you could see how much his mom has been there for him just by the way he responded to the question. His voice, quieter but more sincere, talked about how she was at every game and always encouraged him during the difficulties of being a student athlete.
And the highs as well. Hill continually stated that the best thing about being a student-athlete was hearing the roar of the crowd after making a big play. And while the field is different, flag football still gives him an opportunity to hear that roar. As well as continue to show his mom, and his girlfriend, the athlete that he has become as they support him from the sidelines.