UM fullback Pat Hill balances role of student, father and husband

The senior missed most of last season with an ankle injury, but his return could boost the running game

There are days the football team meetings are briefly interrupted.

The mood in these supposedly intense learning sessions is lightened when players and coaches hear a familiar voice. Pat Hill Jr., the son of Miami Hurricanes starting fullback Pat Hill, is quiet for the most part but at times behaves like any other 2-year-old.

"He's got good enough home training to sit still in the meetings," the elder Hill said. "But he still has his little outbursts. Every now and then, he'll let out a ‘Touchdown."'

Hill, a senior, is all smiles as he tells the story because talking about his family brings nothing but joy. When the pads come off, he returns home to be father and husband. Hill has been married to his wife, Stephanie, for nearly two years, leading a lifestyle different than most college athletes.

"I feel luckier than a lot of the guys [on the team]," Hill said. "I get to go home to my wife and son, who love me dearly. I like to joke around and say it's like having a sleepover all the time."

A loving family was the best remedy for Hill's disappointing 2009 season. He missed most of it after suffering a high ankle sprain against Virginia Tech the third game of the season. Fatherly duties such as taking Pat Jr. trick-or-treating were all he had to keep his mind off football.

"It was very tough," Hill said. "I had to get used to not traveling for away games. It was real hard for the nail-biters, like Wake Forest and North Carolina."

After receiving a medical redshirt, the 5-foot-9, 255-pound Hill is once again in the UM backfield. Coach Randy Shannon said his presence was greatly missed. The Hurricanes were forced to replace Hill with freshman Mike James, a tailback whose blocking skills were not as advanced as Hill's.

"He was a vital part of our success the first three [games] because of his blocking, protection and things like that," Shannon said. "Pat, all he wants to do is be part of the team. He's not worried about his carries."

Hill's most important team, though, is the one he lives with in an off-campus apartment in Coral Gables. He and Stephanie, 22, have known each other since grade school. They started dating as high school juniors after Hill's candid advances became evident.