Jonathan Hilliman Sees First NFL Action At Metlife Stadium
An impressive pre-season was enough to land Jonathan Hilliman a spot on the New York Giants practice squad, but an injury to star running back Saquon Barkley opened up a spot for the former Eagle to truly manifest his childhood dream in the Meadowlands on Sunday afternoon.
"That's my childhood favorite team so I'm pretty excited to be here," Hilliman said. "I was at the [Superbowl] parades. I skipped school twice to go when I was growing up."
Hilliman saw 10 touches, netting 33 rushing yards in a 24-3 victory over the Washington Redskins. He was not immune to rookie mistakes however. The Plainfield NJ native fumbled on a play that was two yards away from being his first NFL touchdown, turning the ball over at the Redskins' two-yard line. Hilliman's fumble was one-of-six turnovers committed by rookies in this game as rookie quarterbacks Daniel Jones of New York and Dwayne Haskins of Washington combined for five interceptions.
Ironically, Hilliman did not lose a single fumble in 211 carries his freshman season at Boston College. He tallied 860 yards and 13 touchdowns as a college rookie in what was his most productive season.
His first game NFL game is comparable to his first game in college as an Eagle in 2014. In the season opener against UMass, Hilliman saw 9 carries for 43 yards in a 30-7 victory over the Minutemen.
Hilliman worked his way into a larger role and earned more carries as the year progressed en route to breaking the program record for rookie rushing attempts with 210.
“I’ve always had to compete,” Hilliman said. “At Boston College, I started as a freshman, but it was Game 5. Even when I first came in (to college), I was fifth string going into camp, putting the ball on the ground and running the wrong way. I knew it was going to be tough, but I’m used to it. I’m used to having to earn my stripes. It makes you a better player and a better person, so I’m always down for competition."
Barkley set all the Giants rookie rushing records pretty high a year ago, leaving Hilliman with a steep hill to climb if he is going to replicate the first-year historical significance he had at Boston College. While breaking any of Barkley's records is a long-shot for the undrafted free agent, simply being prepared and winning games is the priority as he looks to contribute at the professional level.
As Hilliman continues to power through the grind of living out his childhood dream, he will be aided by some familiar novelties in a familiar place as the Giants homestand at Metlife Stadium continues next week against the Vikings, only 10 miles away from St. Peter's Preparatory School where he played his high school career.
These novelties include his parents' cooking and a unique pre-game music genre that he will look to for divine intervention.
"I like gospel music," Hilliman said. "I listen to gospel music the night before [games] just to calm down. I meditate, I read some scriptures, I usually pray."
