WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — This year in Bear Country, you'll be able to watch not just one of the best quarterbacks in the state, but the entire country.
“Sometimes this practice isn't enough,” Houston County quarterback Antwann Hill Jr. said. “We get a lot of stuff done but to be on top of your competitors around the country, there's 50 states so you've got to really outwork your opponent.”
More than 25 division one offers don't come by mistake.
The first of those offers Hill received in eighth grade from the University of Georgia.
But he's also still got two years still ahead of him at HoCo, where a new offense under second year head coach Jeremy Edwards, feels as good as ever.
“He lets me take more control of the offense every day,” Hill said. “Now that I'm learning the offense and I know what he wants to see out of the offense. I know the drops, steps, everything from the receivers to the linemen and their schemes. So big upgrades in my opinion to my game.”
In 2022, AJ helped lead the Bears to a 10-3 record and an elite 8 finish in the state playoffs, throwing 40 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
But with success, comes criticism too.
“People don't think it took a bunch of work to get here,” Hill said. “People think you just jump out of bed and this D1 stuff comes with it. But it's hard being a top rated prospect. You've got people saying you're terrible, then you've got people on your back. So you've just go to keep a small circle around you, a small circle of people that you love.”
Front and center in Antwann’s circle is his cousin, Trey, who's entering his third season with the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I mean he just says take it one day at a time, don't be in my head too much,” Hill said. “So I just take it one day at a time, constantly working. Just work, work, work.”
But that goes for off the field too. AJ is about as close to a college athlete as he can be, all the way down to the classes.
“Right now taking college classes, that's really rough,” Hill said. “You've got to balance out practice, then you've got a bunch of work because in college, they don't tell you what to do. You've got to do it on your own. So I'm just getting used to that college lifestyle and doing work.”
Houston County opens the 2023 season on August 18 against Sumter County at Freedom Field.