Daxton Hill's Parents Reflect On Son's Journey To U-M Via Harbaugh Podcast
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was joined by Derrick and Tia Hill — the parents of incoming five-star freshman safety Daxton — this morning on his weekly 'Attack Each day' podcast.
The group discussed several interesting topics, including why the Hill family was so intrigued with Michigan and why they thought Ann Arbor was the best place for their son.
We have the highlights below:
Jim Harbaugh, on Parents who Have Sons in College and the NFL at the Same Time:
"The McCaffreys have Christian with the Panthers and Dylan here — one parent will often come to the Michigan game while the other goes to Carolina. They're about to have another son going to Nebraska as well.
"Delano Hill is also in the NFL while [senior cornerback] Lavert Hill is playing here right now.
"Those are called lucky sports parents, and it's a good problem to have."
Derrick Hill, Discussing...
When Daxton Hill was young:
"I first noticed Daxton's abilities when he was seven or eight years old because he was always long and thin. Tia and I would watch him from our bedroom when he and his brother, Justice, would play outside — Daxton would always tackle Justice, which made me notice how strong he was for his age.
"Daxton hung around with Justice's group and could always out throw all the eighth graders when they'd play in the street.
"Justice was always very competitive while Daxton just kind of went with the flow, but at the same time hated to lose."
What he's doing nowadays:
"Daxton is doing some training here locally at the gym and develops his own workouts. He's staying in shape and lifting weights, and has also been watching a lot of Michigan film."
The recruiting process:
"Justice had known where he wanted to go to college since he was nine years old, and accepted his Oklahoma State offer within a few weeks of receiving it. Things died down for him once he committed.
"We took an unofficial visit to Michigan with Daxton and were impressed by the historical perspective and the idea of him becoming a Michigan Man.
"We looked at life after football and thought about it being a 40-year decision and not just a four-year one.
"Tia and I told each other on the official visit that Michigan is the right place. It was mostly because of what the school represents, the genuineness of the people, and those who had come through the program — we met some alumni and heard their stories, and it was breathtaking.
"We felt like Michigan was the best fit for Daxton's personality and what he wanted to accomplish long term in his life.
"We loved how they would prepare him for life after football as soon as his feet hit the ground, while some other programs talked mainly just about football."
Tia Hill:
"I was in gymnastics and track growing up, but focused on basketball in high school. I have the leg length to take on either Daxton or Justice right now.
"Daxton played running back and quarterback when he was younger, but transitioned to safety once he got older at Booker T. Washington. That's when Justice told us his brother was going to be highly recruited, and the recruiting trail helped develop Daxton mentally.
"I know it was a whirlwind with Michigan there late, but the U-M visit just had such an impact on him. He initially made the wrong switch [to Alabama] and decided to switch back within two days, and we all felt at peace as a family."
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