Stephen Hill, the former second-round draft pick who was cut last week after just two seasons with the Jets, says he didn’t play as badly as has been suggested.
Hill, who is now on the Panthers’ practice squad, says his reputation for dropping passes was more a function of the media coverage of the Jets than an accurate reflection of the way he played.
“Well honestly that was New York Jets media that did that,” Hill said, via the Charlotte Observer. “If you really go back and look at it, there were guys at other facilities that dropped more than I did. As a receiver you’re going to drop passes. You’re going to catch footballs. Things like that happen; it’s just that the New York media – and honestly this is me talking – did all that. They can say what they want to say about me, but I really don’t care. I’m in a new place now. They tried their best to get me out of there.”
Hill is just 23 years old and is a phenomenal athlete, and he may still become an effective receiver in the NFL. But he’d be wise to stop blaming the media for his problems. Hill is gone from New York because the Jets decided he wasn’t good enough, not because of the media.