ANN ARBOR, MI (WTKR)- It wasn't long into Brandyn Hillman's freshman season at Churchland when current Truckers' head coach Dontrell Leonard knew he was looking at a special talent.
It was a game against Smithfield and Hillman was running the ball downfield about three yards off the sideline.
"He came to a complete halt, shook another guy, jumped over another guy," Leonard recalled. "I was sitting in the back of the endzone in a Gator and he just pointed at me and said 'this is what you've got to look forward to.'"
Hillman's journey started well before he made that play that is etched into Leonard's mind. Football was always his favorite activity. He grew up playing multiple sports, but said the gridiron is where he spent the most time throughout the year, putting in valuable work on his skills.
"It's just the work that I put in growing up, it's kind of all come together and built me to this spot now," he noted.
The spot he's referring to is the football team at the University of Michigan, one of the most legendary programs in the country. Hillman is wrapping up his freshman season as a Wolverine, seeing time in nine games at safety and on special teams. From the field at Churchland High School to Michigan Stadium, known as "The Big House," it's been quite a journey. He'll add another chapter Monday night when he suits up for the national championship game.
"We were all sitting in the locker room together like 'man, we're really going to the national championship our freshman year,'" the former Trucker said of a recent conversation with some fellow first-year players. "I never would've thought it would have gotten to this point, but I'm glad."
"That's a huge deal for him," Leonard added. "That's a huge deal for us. He's taking the right steps going into his sophomore year."
Hillman is considered one of the greatest players to wear a Churchland uniform. He led the Truckers to back-to-back playoff appearances during his junior and senior years of high school, making a name for himself at quarterback. The signal caller put up more than 2,500 total yards and scored 33 total touchdowns during his senior season, but his final high school campaign is also when he started to play on the defensive side of the ball as well.
Now he's showing current players in his former high school program that there is a path from Portsmouth to Power Five football.
"He's still in our players group chat," pointed out Leonard. "He'll jump in there sometimes and give the kids some encouraging words or things of that nature."
Monday night the Truckers will watch their product step under the bright lights in Houston. Hillman will be locked in and focused, but always makes it a point to take it all in.
"Pregame warm-ups, I don't even come outside with shoes sometimes," he smiled. "I'll just come out in bare feet so I can just feel to ground, so I can take it all in. I just look into the stands and thank God every time I walk out."
Michigan faces Washington for college football's ultimate prize. It's the chance for Hillman to put the perfect cap on a memorable freshman campaign.
"As a team, we all deserve it," the defensive back said. "For everything that's been going on this year, I feel like the team just deserves it, so it would mean a lot, not just for me, but for the whole team."
The Wolverines and Huskies kick off at 7:30 PM on Monday night.
