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- Mike Hilton is headed to the Super Bowl as a starter for Cincinnati.
- However, back in high school, he was told by a prominent SEC program that he was too small.
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Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton is set to play in his first-career Super Bowl on Sunday. The 27-year-old Georgia-native has made a huge impact on Cincinnati’s defense in 2021, and his motivation stems from a conversation with Mark Richt in 2011.
Hilton stands 5-foot-9, 184 pounds. As a three-star recruit out of high school he had offers from the likes of North Carolina, Cincinnati, LSU, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Tennessee, among others. He ultimately ended up at Ole Miss, but his path to Mississippi wasn’t always the easiest.
At Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia, Hilton always wanted to play at the University of Georgia. However, his dream did not go as planned.
In high school, Hilton played both ways. His tape was strong and was ranked as the No. 71 player in Georgia by Rivals.com and the No. 78 running back in the nation by Scout.com.
As a junior, Hilton set a school record with nine interceptions. As a senior, he helped lead his team to a 12-1 record.
All of the pieces were there for Hilton to be a nice low-end addition to any recruiting class. In particular, Hilton wanted to be a part of Georgia’s class.
When he was given the opportunity to speak with the Bulldogs’ head coach Mark Richt, he was thrilled. But it didn’t go well.
Richt told Hilton that he was too small for his program.
Hilton has not forgotten that meeting back in 2011.
“That’s one thing that really stuck with me throughout my whole career,” Hilton says. “That’s why I play the way I do and try to show that physical presence. … Hearing those words out of his mouth just stuck with me. I think about it all the time. It means more when they tell you that.”
In turn, Hilton committed to Ole Miss. He played every position in the secondary and asserted himself as a valuable asset on a strong defensive unit with 25.5 TFLs, 24 pass breakups, six interceptions, four forced fumbles and 3.5 sacks in 49 games (39 starts).
And yet, he did not get an invite to the NFL Combine and went undrafted. Hilton signed with Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent but was cut, signed with the Patriots and was cut again.
When the dust settled, Hilton signed with the Steelers and spent four years in Pittsburgh and left as a starter. Now, after signing with the Bengals in the offseason, he will play in the Super Bowl.
Hilton hasn’t forgotten what Mark Richt told him. He has been doubted his whole life and now he’s playing on football’s biggest stage.