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Kenny Hill has Texas A&M off to perfect start

By WTOP Staff

KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Kenny Hill insists he wasn’t daunted taking over for Johnny Manziel as quarterback at Texas A&M.

He did, however, ask the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner and one of the most popular college players in recent history for some advice.

“He just said: ‘Go out there and be you. You don’t have to go out there and do anything crazy, just go out there and ball,'” Hill recalled.

So far he’s done just that, leading No. 6 Texas A&M to a perfect start with a chance to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2006 with a win on Saturday at SMU.

The ultra-confident 19-year-old burst onto the scene by throwing for a school-record 511 yards in A&M’s season-opening win at South Carolina. He woke up the next day and realized his phone was broken and couldn’t be fixed, so he tracked the buzz on Twitter — suddenly he had gone from unknown backup to one of the hottest players in college football. Manziel and others were calling him Kenny Football, a sensible nod to Manziel’s “Johnny Football” nickname.

Except Hill didn’t like that. He wanted his own nom de plume.

He went through a list of names and decided “Kenny Trill” was his favorite. He was stunned by the media attention his new nickname elicited.

“That was nuts,” he said. “I get on Twitter and ‘Kenny Trill’ is trending on Twitter. I think it’s just unbelievable that it took off like that.”

Trill has long been used by Texas rapper Bun B, who calls himself Bun B Trill OG. Bun B tweeted about the nickname, saying he liked the idea of it but that Hill would have to do more to be “trill.” Hill was floored that perhaps the most famous rapper in Texas addressed his moniker.

“I think at some point I can earn that nickname,” he said, “To say that he likes the idea was pretty cool, too. Just to talk about my nickname, I think that’s unreal.”

If it were up to coach Kevin Sumlin, Hill would probably be called Kenny Chill.

Sumlin said he has seen his quarterback yawning in practice sometimes and simply shakes his head. But his serene personality helped him go on the road to South Carolina for his first start and not bat an eye in directing a surprising 52-28 rout of the Gamecocks.

“Him traveling last year and being a part of those different environments helped, but his demeanor certainly helps because he’s so calm,” Sumlin said. “You don’t want that out of your linebackers, but it probably helps him in a situation like that. (Offensive coordinator) Jake Spavital said he has zero nerves; that’s about right.”

His receivers love that about Hill and said it helps the team stay balanced no matter the situation.

“That’s why we knew he would do so well because he has a sleepy demeanor to him,” receiver Malcome Kennedy said. “A lot of guys will come out and look at him and wouldn’t expect a threat from him, but he’s just a natural baller. He has every trait of a quarterback you would want.”

Hill beat out heralded freshman Kyle Allen for the job in camp. He feels lucky he was given a second chance.

Like Manziel before his first season as a starter, Hill was arrested. According to an arrest report, he was picked up on a public intoxication charge in a College Station bar district in March and gave police a fake name. He was suspended, but Sumlin reinstated him before camp and said Hill and Allen would compete for the starting spot.

“After that situation I thought that would be it for me and I thought Kyle would just get the job,” Hill said. “But when he said that I knew I still had a chance and I just tried to make the most of my opportunities.”

Now that he has the job he isn’t planning on letting up. He knows that if he slips Allen could fill in seamlessly.

“It’s pushed me to play hard every single day,” Hill said. “I can’t make a lot of mistakes because he’s right there at my heels ready to take my spot. It keeps me motivated to keep working hard.”

It’s a work ethic he developed playing for Texas football powerhouse Southlake Carroll. He led the team to a state championship in the state’s largest classification as a junior in 2011 by passing for more than 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns and running for 1,400 yards and 24 more scores.

He said the pressure of performing at a school known for producing top-level college quarterbacks made his transition to starting at Texas A&M much easier.

“That helped me going into this just knowing I didn’t have to be anybody else,” he said. “Just knowing I could just go in and play as me and that would be enough. As of right now — how we’re playing, it’s enough right now.”

Hill has done a great job of easing the pain of Manziel’s early departure to the NFL and is off to a better start to his career. He is the only player in school history to throw for 1,000 yards (1,094) in the first three games of a season.

This week he’ll return to the area where he grew up when the Aggies face the Mustangs in their first road game of the season. It’s the first of two straight games in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with Texas A&M meeting Arkansas at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium next week.

Hill, son of former major league pitcher Ken Hill, is looking forward to playing in front of scores of family and friends this week, but has avoided the harassment of people begging for tickets. Although he’s become one of the hottest names in college football, Hill was at the mercy of his parents when waiting for a replacement for his broken phone.

They finally brought him a new one, ending a more than two week span where the teenager was disconnected. His face lit up like a child on Christmas morning when talking about getting his new one.

“Oh my goodness,” he said, “my parents brought that phone to me and I was immediately on it and didn’t get off the whole night.”

There was one problem, though: He got a new number and didn’t have any of his contacts from the pre-Kenny Trill days. That might be a good thing.

“It’s kind of nice honestly because I don’t have a bunch of people blowing my phone up,” Hill said before flashing a huge grin.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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