Central Michigan University Athletics
Eddie Hillery Profile
11/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 11, 2003
By Caleb Buhs
Sports Information Intern
Eddie Hillery hasn't followed the typical path of a Division I college football player. But, then again, Eddie is not your typical gridder.
Hillery was not highly recruited out of high school. In fact, he was recruited by one school despite the fact that he was ranked the 49th top prep in the state of Michigan by the Detroit Free Press.
After having outstanding sophomore and junior campaigns at Rochester Hills High, Eddie's senior season did not go as well as planned. He had numerous Mid-American Conference schools courting him after his junior year, but Central Michigan University was the only school that offered him a scholarship after his final season in high school.
"CMU was the only school that offered me a scholarship," said Hillery. "I was happy with the school and was very pleased to accept its offer."
Although the Chippewas wanted Eddie on the team, they did not recruit him to play the position that he had played his entire life. The 6-1, 235 pound linebacker was a running back throughout his prep career. Hillery rushed for a school-record 2,339 yards one season.
Eddie was more than happy to take on the challenges of a new position. "I wanted to do whatever the team needed me to do when I got here," said Eddie.
The position swap did cause Hillery some unwanted grief from the coaches in his first couple of weeks on campus.
"I had only played four or five snaps a game on defense in high school," Eddie explained. "The coaches assumed that I had played defense before so they were yelling at me a lot. I had to let them know that I didn't understand some of the schemes because I had never played defense before."
Hillery got past the yelling and the unfamiliarity of a new position and earned his way on to the playing field during his first season, something most college freshman don't do.
Eddie played in 10 games in 2000, and will play four straight seasons without a redshirt year.
"I was happy to get in the game during my freshman year," said Hillery. "But looking back on it, I kind of wish that I was redshirted so that I could finish out my career with the guys I came in with."
Eddie will be going out with one player that came to CMU in the class of 2000 with him, halfback Terrence Jackson. Both gave up their redshirt years to play in their first season, which has formed a strong bond between the two.
"I've lived with Terrence since my sophomore year," said Hillery. "It is nice to have someone to talk to that is in the same situation."
Both Terrence and Eddie have one year of school remaining and will finish up without playing for the football team.
"We talk a lot about life after football and what it will be like," said Hillery. "I am going to have to be involved with the football team in some way. It will not be enough to just watch them play on Saturdays."
The absence of football in Eddie's life will allow him to spend more time as a student. "I've heard about what it is like to just be a student," said Hillery. "But, I'm not really sure how it is going to be. I am sure it will give me more of a chance to concentrate on my school work and relax a little after class."
The extra time will also allow Eddie to concentrate more on his other hobbies such as cooking.
"I have always liked to cook," exclaimed Eddie. "When I was growing up it was just me and my mom so she taught me how to cook so that I would have a meal if she wasn't around.
"I enjoyed it so much that I took all the cooking classes that I could when I was in high school, which my mom was not so happy about."
Eddie's mom, Sandra Mears, has been a big inspiration is his life.
"It was always my mom's dream for me to get through college," said Hillery. "She is the reason that I do a lot of things and the reason that I don't do certain things."
Hillery plans on graduating in May of 2005 with a degree in criminal justice. He would someday like to work for the federal government.
