CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – When Troy Hill left Youngstown, Ohio at the age of 15 for California, it was for better opportunity.
His return to northeast Ohio, namely Cleveland to play for the Browns, is for the same reason.
“This program is turning around, and where other place would I rather be than home when they go win that Super Bowl,” Hill said during a Zoom video conference Monday.
Like Youngstown, the Browns had fallen on hard times.
Hill aims to be part of the comeback story – for his hometown and the Browns and his sights are set high to make it happen on and off the field.
“It definitely feels like a homecoming,” Hill said.
“Just growing up, knowing what Ohio football is, how much they cherish Ohio football, the fanbase in Cleveland and everything that comes along with it, I am excited to be out here. It kind of reminds me of being a kid again and playing ball as a kid. It is going to be a fun one. It is going to be fun.”
In addition to helping the Browns win, on Hill’s radar is returning to Youngstown and possibly borrowing from the LeBron James playbook.
“I wanted to open up a charter school and give back to the community as much as possible,” Hill, who admitted he might have dropped out of high school had he not moved out west, said.
“I feel like I can do a lot of help out there to bring this community back up.”
After going 11-5 and winning their first playoff game in 26 years, the Browns have had little problem convincing free agents to come to Cleveland.
Hill is among six free agents signed already by Andrew Berry this offseason, including one of his teammates from the Rams, safety John Johnson III.
“They are getting a hell of player,” Hill said. “In my opinion, that is the best safety out there – I do not care what anybody says – and all of the things he is able to do. I have seen him in adversity and doing things that nobody probably thought he could do. For example, just a little small thing as far as communicating all of the plays with the defense last year and coming out there and playing at a high level. Whatever is thrown at him, he goes out there and he executes.”
In addition to Johnson, Hill joins a defense that includes Denzel Ward, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, and All-Pro and Pro Bowl defensive end Myles Garrett.
“I see there is no ceiling on what we can be,” Hill said. “Obviously, on paper it is going to always be good, but you have to come in and put the work in every day. That is what I am excited about is to put the work in and then look up at the end of the season and see what we did and see how good we were.
“I think that we can be one of the best defenses in the league, if not the best. Like I said, we have to come in, put the work in and show out every Sunday.”
Hill, who moved to the slot last season for the Rams, led the NFL with three defensive touchdowns in 2020. The Browns had two last season as a team in the regular season.
“I always feel like if the ball is in my hands, I am a natural scorer since I was playing little league,” Hill said. “I am looking forward to this season and being able to repeat or even do better than that.”