Hill 'ran' back to Giants after suspension
While it's usually true that time flies, for New York Giants safety Will Hill, the weeks he spent serving a four-game suspension didn't go fast enough.
Hill, whose suspension was over a violation of the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, couldn't wait to get back to work Wednesday.
"I ran here," he said with a smile. "I was here at 6 o'clock. Meetings didn't start 'til 8.
"I was at home, just hanging out with the kids, keeping the body in shape, but it ain't nothing like being amongst your teammates and your coaches."
Hill is not on the active roster; the Giants have a one-week exemption that expires next Monday to either add him or release him. He said he felt as though he could step right back into the mix if the coaches needed him to, despite his inactivity.
"I didn't lose a step," he said. "Just because I wasn't here, I was still working. I was always grinding. I called Ray Buchanan and the first week I was out, I went down there (to Atlanta) and got with him."
Hill said the time spent with Buchanan, a former defensive back who spent the bulk of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, helped keep him sharp.
"I do most of my workouts by myself anyway," Hill said. "I just went down there to get a little feedback from him and watch a little film, and then came back home to just continue to do what I do."
He also tried to keep up with his teammates by watching the games on television, which he said was a struggle.
"It was hard, and then again it wasn't because I went through a whole year already without playing, but then at the same time, once you start playing again and you see your peers out there busting their butt and you're like, 'I wish I was there. I wish I could help them in some way, shape or form,'" he said.
"I built a bond with these fellas, and I felt I was letting them down by not being there and able to help them."
Whether he'll be able to help his teammates this weekend remains to be determined. Coach Tom Coughlin said safety Kenny Phillips won't practice or play this week due to a knee injury, so the odds of Hill being activated for Sunday look promising.
"They want to see how I am right now and if I lost a step or anything," Hill said when asked about the chances of returning this weekend to face the Cincinnati Bengals. "So I'm just waiting on the coaches to make their call."
If he does get the call, Hill believes he has an advantage over some of his competitors.
"I felt as though this break actually gave my body a little rest," he said. "Everybody out there today was like, 'I'm jealous man. You got fresh legs.' I'm running around everybody right now."
