Colorado State University Athletics
Photo by: Parker Waters
Hill finds nothing but positives at Manning Passing Academy
7/10/2019 12:00:00 PM | Football
Junior QB worked as a counselor and received instruction from Mannings
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – After a lift, Collin Hill headed to his locker as he always does. And like most players, Colorado State's junior quarterback gave his phone a quick check.
Not that he was expecting a voice mail from Archie Manning, but there it was. And when the promise of a return phone call to discuss Hill's invitation to the Manning Passing Academy came on the day promised, reality took hold.
"He called me a couple of days later and was like, 'Hey Collin, this is Archie Manning,' and it was like, holy cow, this guy's a legend," Hill said. "It's an honor, it really is."
As surreal as the moment back in March felt, it was surpassed by the realization early in July that he, Collin Hill, was actually working out and taking instruction from the most famous of Archie's sons, Peyton.
After a while – thanks to the hospitality of the Manning family -- you know, you just get used to it.
"The first time I was like, this guy is probably top five all time watching me," Hill said, now back in Fort Collins doing summer work with his team. "But he was awesome, really nice, super encouraging. It was weird at first to be dropping back and Peyton Manning just said, 'good ball.'"
Hill spent a week there, serving as a camp counselor for a group of aspiring quarterbacks in their eighth- through 12th-grade years, then the rest of the day was workouts conducted by the Mannings for some of the nation's top collegiate quarterbacks.
Which was the first of many reality checks for Hill. To get the invite means somebody there thinks rather highly of you. Hill always wanted to believe he could be grouped with the elite quarterbacks in college football, but until his time at the camp was done, it wasn't a certainty in his mind.
Like Garrett Grayson before him – the last CSU quarterback to attend the camp – it takes getting a chance to see them up close and personal, to compete alongside of them, for it all to sink in.
"I was interested to see just what it would be like but yeah, I think I belong, I do after everything we did," Hill said. "I thought so, but you don't know. Half of the dudes I'd never seen before. I thought I belonged, but I thought after a couple of days that for sure I did. I mean, at the beginning, I was a little -- not nervous -- but I was interested to see what everybody was going to be like. The cool part was just meeting the guys. The guys are good dudes, and hopefully we'll stay in contact."
Being a counselor was fun for Hill, who said he normally worked with the same group of kids, getting to know a few of them pretty well. Getting instruction, tips and advice for Peyton, Eli and Archie were moments he hopes will pay off for himself and the Rams in the next few seasons.
"I probably talked to Peyton for a while one night. We were just talking about offseason stuff," Hill said. "He was talking about making sure you're getting your work in, your drills. He talked about his routine, and whatever your routine is, just try to stick to that as much as you can. Eli talked about taking care of your body, and that's why he could play so long."
After the Academy was over, CSU head coach Mike Bobo received texts from the Mannings about how impressive Hill was at the camp. Quarterbacks coach Ronnie Letson received the same news, noting how well the junior represented himself and Colorado State while there.
Letson thinks the experience alone will pay off for Hill.
"It's the fact that he just got to get down there with all the elite QB's in the nation, along with the Mannings and also compete with them and share some knowledge with the campers," Letson said. "All the responses I got from people is how great of a person along with being an elite QB he is."
No pressure, but when Grayson came back, all he did was throw for a school-record 4,006 yards and 32 touchdowns in the 2014 season. To that, Hill smiles and admits he'd be just fine with a repeat of the performance.
He knows he's worked hard to be in position. This will be his fourth year on campus, and he's been through a lot. He's thrown for 300 yards in a game three times and nearly had his head taken off at Minnesota.
He's earned the starting job twice now – first a true freshman in 2016 when he started three games, then again last year when he started the final four. Through it all – including two knee surgeries -- his next start will be just his eighth. Physically he has built himself back up, and he has a better idea of why the mental aspect will be just as important.
The advice came from all over, not just the Mannings. The peers talked in their free time, discussed offenses and what they do, share routines and drills. They were a mix, to be sure, some of them working with personal coaches in the offseason, some honing their craft on their own.
Thinking back, Hill went through a wave of ideas and concepts he was introduced to -- "so many little nuggets." In the end, it was the mental component which stuck most with him.
"I think the biggest thing I took away was Peyton said he would never out-athlete or out-throw somebody, but he could always out-prepare them," Hill said. "The way he talked me through what film he watched, how he watched it – in the offseason and in season – that's something that could be very applicable for me. It was interesting to see what he did and the way he went about it. He talked about drills, but he said at the end of the day, you have to do the kind of drills you think you need, but I think the film stuff was the biggest thing."
Not that he was expecting a voice mail from Archie Manning, but there it was. And when the promise of a return phone call to discuss Hill's invitation to the Manning Passing Academy came on the day promised, reality took hold.
"He called me a couple of days later and was like, 'Hey Collin, this is Archie Manning,' and it was like, holy cow, this guy's a legend," Hill said. "It's an honor, it really is."
As surreal as the moment back in March felt, it was surpassed by the realization early in July that he, Collin Hill, was actually working out and taking instruction from the most famous of Archie's sons, Peyton.
After a while – thanks to the hospitality of the Manning family -- you know, you just get used to it.
"The first time I was like, this guy is probably top five all time watching me," Hill said, now back in Fort Collins doing summer work with his team. "But he was awesome, really nice, super encouraging. It was weird at first to be dropping back and Peyton Manning just said, 'good ball.'"
Hill spent a week there, serving as a camp counselor for a group of aspiring quarterbacks in their eighth- through 12th-grade years, then the rest of the day was workouts conducted by the Mannings for some of the nation's top collegiate quarterbacks.
Which was the first of many reality checks for Hill. To get the invite means somebody there thinks rather highly of you. Hill always wanted to believe he could be grouped with the elite quarterbacks in college football, but until his time at the camp was done, it wasn't a certainty in his mind.
Like Garrett Grayson before him – the last CSU quarterback to attend the camp – it takes getting a chance to see them up close and personal, to compete alongside of them, for it all to sink in.
"I was interested to see just what it would be like but yeah, I think I belong, I do after everything we did," Hill said. "I thought so, but you don't know. Half of the dudes I'd never seen before. I thought I belonged, but I thought after a couple of days that for sure I did. I mean, at the beginning, I was a little -- not nervous -- but I was interested to see what everybody was going to be like. The cool part was just meeting the guys. The guys are good dudes, and hopefully we'll stay in contact."
Being a counselor was fun for Hill, who said he normally worked with the same group of kids, getting to know a few of them pretty well. Getting instruction, tips and advice for Peyton, Eli and Archie were moments he hopes will pay off for himself and the Rams in the next few seasons.
"I probably talked to Peyton for a while one night. We were just talking about offseason stuff," Hill said. "He was talking about making sure you're getting your work in, your drills. He talked about his routine, and whatever your routine is, just try to stick to that as much as you can. Eli talked about taking care of your body, and that's why he could play so long."
After the Academy was over, CSU head coach Mike Bobo received texts from the Mannings about how impressive Hill was at the camp. Quarterbacks coach Ronnie Letson received the same news, noting how well the junior represented himself and Colorado State while there.
Letson thinks the experience alone will pay off for Hill.
"It's the fact that he just got to get down there with all the elite QB's in the nation, along with the Mannings and also compete with them and share some knowledge with the campers," Letson said. "All the responses I got from people is how great of a person along with being an elite QB he is."
No pressure, but when Grayson came back, all he did was throw for a school-record 4,006 yards and 32 touchdowns in the 2014 season. To that, Hill smiles and admits he'd be just fine with a repeat of the performance.
He knows he's worked hard to be in position. This will be his fourth year on campus, and he's been through a lot. He's thrown for 300 yards in a game three times and nearly had his head taken off at Minnesota.
He's earned the starting job twice now – first a true freshman in 2016 when he started three games, then again last year when he started the final four. Through it all – including two knee surgeries -- his next start will be just his eighth. Physically he has built himself back up, and he has a better idea of why the mental aspect will be just as important.
The advice came from all over, not just the Mannings. The peers talked in their free time, discussed offenses and what they do, share routines and drills. They were a mix, to be sure, some of them working with personal coaches in the offseason, some honing their craft on their own.
Thinking back, Hill went through a wave of ideas and concepts he was introduced to -- "so many little nuggets." In the end, it was the mental component which stuck most with him.
"I think the biggest thing I took away was Peyton said he would never out-athlete or out-throw somebody, but he could always out-prepare them," Hill said. "The way he talked me through what film he watched, how he watched it – in the offseason and in season – that's something that could be very applicable for me. It was interesting to see what he did and the way he went about it. He talked about drills, but he said at the end of the day, you have to do the kind of drills you think you need, but I think the film stuff was the biggest thing."
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