Pitt's Hill on Thorpe Award Watch List - And Why That's a Big Deal
Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Zach McMasters
Pitt football’s rollercoaster-like offseason ascended to another high this past Monday. DB Brandon Hill was added to the 2022 Jim Thorpe Award watch list. This is certainly due to his outstanding 21’ campaign in which he racked up a slew of statistics. He came up clutch with an interception in the final minutes against Tennessee and helped capture the ACC championship later in the year. In fact, Hill was a Thorpe Award semifinalist last season and his journey continues September 1st at the Backyard Brawl.
Let’s take a look at the Jim Thorpe award and some of the history behind it. James Francis Thorpe was believed to have been born in 1887 on Native American territory that later became Oklahoma, USA. After the unfortunate passing of his mother, a 16-year old Thorpe traveled to Carlisle, Pennsylvania to attend Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Here he was drawn to football by Glenn Scobey “Pop” Warner, the man that led the Pittsburgh Panthers to their first undefeated season. Jim Thorpe grabbed nationwide attention in 1911 with his talent as a defensive back, running back, kicker and punter. Jim was a swiss army knife of athleticism. In 1912 he won Olympic gold in the pentathlon & decathlon and did well in high/long jumping. Sweden’s King Gustav V allegedly called him “the greatest athlete in the world”, and I believe it.
Mr. Thorpe then played professional baseball for multiple teams and brought his talents to the American Professional Football Association before it was the NFL. There’s a lot more to his Hall of Fame career and interesting background worth researching.
Now there’s a smidge of history on the award’s name and the multi-sport athlete it honors. In 1986, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame began tracking collegiate defensive backs they believed emulated the talent of Mr. Thorpe. Thomas Everett from Baylor won the first Jim Thorpe Award and went on to be drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. His accomplishments in college football included 2 x Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year and 1986 All-American amongst others. Furthermore, in 1988 “Primetime” Deion Sanders won the award after becoming the first player in Florida State history to return two interceptions for touchdowns in one season. There’s no shortage of accolades after these players went pro either, with both Sanders & Everett winning two Super Bowl rings.
Most recently, the Jim Thorpe Award winner for the 2021 season was Coby Bryant of Cincinnati. A team captain, that pushed the Bearcats to being the nation’s best pass defense.
We see that the Jim Thorpe Award accurately reflects a defensive back’s talent. Debate can be had about who specifically should receive it in a given season, but the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame isn’t rewarding any scrubs. Already, Brandon Hill is in a very coveted position being on their watchlist for the 2022 season. He must continue to perform at an advanced level and show the talent displayed by Jim Thorpe, by Deion Sanders, by Roy Williams and Charles Woodson. This may take building on the 81 tackles, the 6 broken up passes and 2 picks performed last season. Maybe it’ll even take another conference championship.
But a story isn’t finished until the author writes “The End” and Brandon Hill’s College career hasn't turned the final page yet. For now, we watch and wait to see if this young man has what it takes to be named “the best defensive back in college football.”
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