Standout safety glad to be back on FIU football team for 2025
Demetrius Hill admits he made a mistake.
Hill, a safety who checks in at 6-2 and 205 pounds, started all 12 of FIU's games in 2022, making the FWAA Freshman All-America team.
He then transferred, which is where it all went wrong.
'I think I made a mistake leaving,' said Hill, who spent the past two years at the University of Illinois. 'FIU has always been home.'
Hill, who played his high school ball at Miami Springs, got into just one game at Illinois, wrecking his knee while playing special teams.
'I was running down, and I stepped wrong,' Hill said. 'My knee just went. But I'm now healthy and 100 percent.'
Hill said FIU starting cornerback Brian Blades II is one of his best friends on the team. Hill leaned on that friendship to find his way back to FIU and new coach Willie Simmons.
'I had been communicating with Brian, and I finally said, 'Just give me the phone number for Willie, and let me express myself and what I can bring back to this program,' Hill said.
'(Simmons) gave me the opportunity, and I'm going to take full advantage. I'm just trying to be the best version of myself.'
Hill is one of the most proven players on the FIU Panthers.
As a redshirt freshman, he ranked third on the Panthers with 95 tackles. He also totaled 3½ tackles for losses; three forced fumbles; one sack; one interception; and one pass breakup.
After that, Hill said he got bad advice to leave FIU.
'I made my decision (to leave FIU) off of emotions and not on my faith,' Hill said. 'I was getting all kinds of people coming at me from different directions. Go here or there -- this school and this and that. Deep down, I wanted to stay.
'Now I realize that it's not what school you are at, it's what you do while you are at that school. Make a name for yourself, which I did before, and I will do it again.'
Hill, 22, said he is a devout Christian.
'My faith is so deep,' Hill affirmed. 'One thing I've learned is that I can't do it on my own.
'There's a higher power, which is God. I'm nothing without Him. My faith brought me back to FIU.'
Faith aside, Hill is also a big believer in Simmons and the rest of FIU's coaches.
'This coaching staff brings energy that I haven't felt before,' Hill said. 'There are no dull moments around this coaching staff.
'With this new coaching staff and with my best friends on this team, I'm back with my family, and I love it.'
THIS AND THAT
▪ FIU running back Devonte Lyons, although he seems like a quiet sort, told The Herald: 'Oh yeah, I love trash talking.' Asked for an example, Lyons said: 'It ain't for the public.'
▪ FIU running back Kejon Owens, who is in his last season of college eligibility, said he put his name in the transfer portal after coach Mike MacIntyre was fired last season.
But Owens decided to stay at FIU after getting calls from Simmons and running backs coach Benedick Hyppolite.
'They had the vision of putting FIU on the map,' Owens said, 'and that's all I've wanted to do since Day One.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
7 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Jeffery Simmons arrives at Titans' minicamp 20 pounds lighter
Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons spent the offseason away from the team facility, training on his own. Simmons showed up for the team's mandatory minicamp this week, and he arrived 20 pounds lighter. It's no wonder coach Brian Callahan didn't worry about Simmons' absence. Simmons weighed in at 301 pounds Tuesday. 'I feel great,' Simmons said, via Jim Wyatt of the team website. 'I feel light on my feet, and I still feel very explosive.' Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson started a tradition last year of asking players who miss the offseason program to do up-downs upon their return. Simmons admits he was winded. But he said it was 'great' to be back with his teammates. 'It's great to be back on the field with the guys, getting to work with the guys,' Simmons said. 'It's not always an easy decision, making the decision not to be here with your teammates, especially with a lot of new guys. . . . But I made that decision. It was a personal decision. But today was a good day, and I was glad to be back.' Simmons is under contract in Tennessee through the 2027 season and he made his third Pro Bowl after the 2024 season.
Hamilton Spectator
8 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Titans' Jeffery Simmons sheds 20 pounds, aims for more sacks in 2025
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee coach Brian Callahan and Jeffery Simmons both agree on what they want to see more this upcoming season from the Titans defensive lineman. More sacks. The three-time Pro Bowl lineman had just five sacks in 2024, his fewest since his second NFL season in 2020. Simmons ranked third on the Titans behind linebacker Harold Landry III, released in March, and linebacker Arden Key. Worse, the Titans tied Carolina with 32 sacks for third fewest in the NFL behind only New England (28) and Atlanta (31). Callahan said the goal is to see Simmons do more than just affect quarterbacks and take those players to the ground more. He knows the six-year veteran and first-round pick in 2019 can be better at that. He also believes Simmons is driven to do just that. 'He's always working at something, and I think he's grown as a person,' Callahan said Tuesday. 'He continues to grow as a player. You'd like to feel like he's sort of hitting his prime at this point with the experience that he has and the amount he's played to get the best version of Jeff this year.' Simmons was on the field as the Titans started their mandatory three-day minicamp Tuesday. Simmons said he's lost about 20 pounds and weighed in Tuesday morning at 301. The Titans have been talking about how to improve their sack numbers. Simmons said it's a big emphasis for him and the defense knowing that simply pressuring quarterbacks doesn't win games. 'We got to stop saying just affect the quarterback,' Simmons said. 'We've got to sack the quarterbacks.' Simmons, the 19th pick in 2019 from Mississippi State, finds himself as the longest-tenured member of the Titans' defense along with safety Amani Hooker, a fourth-round pick that same draft out of Iowa. Tennessee is trying to snap a skid of three straight losing seasons, the last a 3-14 mark in Callahan's debut as head coach. Simmons is a key piece of a defense that ranked second in the NFL in giving up 177.3 yards passing and 311.2 total yards per game. The Titans also were 26th against the run, allowing 133.9 yards and 30th in points per game (27.1). That led to Simmons' absence from the voluntary offseason program being criticized by outsiders. Simmons said working out on his own was a personal decision. 'It was a lot of different things that I did,' Simmons said. 'The biggest thing was being consistent with my every day living from my meal prep to the way I was training. ... I weighed in today on a good note.' Simmons showed off his speed carrying fewer pounds, breaking through at one point for what would have been a sack of rookie Cam Ward — the No. 1 overall draft pick. Simmons also gave Ward a nice taste of trash talking having heard how good the rookie is at that part of football. 'I haven't spent much time around them and talking smack to me and get back in the huddle and able to operate the offense, that's exciting,' Simmons said. 'And like I say, he got a lot of confidence.' Waiting on Sneed Callahan said cornerback L'Jarius Sneed probably won't be seen during this minicamp on the field. The Titans traded for Sneed last offseason, and the two-time Super Bowl champ played only five games before landing on injured reserve. The Titans coach said what they've seen from Sneed has been fantastic and they know his track record as a player. Now Callahan said Sneed has to prove that in Tennessee, which he hasn't done yet. 'We just hope we need to get that version of him out here for us,' Callahan said. ___ AP NFL:
San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Titans' Jeffery Simmons sheds 20 pounds, aims for more sacks in 2025
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee coach Brian Callahan and Jeffery Simmons both agree on what they want to see more this upcoming season from the Titans defensive lineman. More sacks. The three-time Pro Bowl lineman had just five sacks in 2024, his fewest since his second NFL season in 2020. Simmons ranked third on the Titans behind linebacker Harold Landry III, released in March, and linebacker Arden Key. Worse, the Titans tied Carolina with 32 sacks for third fewest in the NFL behind only New England (28) and Atlanta (31). Callahan said the goal is to see Simmons do more than just affect quarterbacks and take those players to the ground more. He knows the six-year veteran and first-round pick in 2019 can be better at that. He also believes Simmons is driven to do just that. 'He's always working at something, and I think he's grown as a person,' Callahan said Tuesday. 'He continues to grow as a player. You'd like to feel like he's sort of hitting his prime at this point with the experience that he has and the amount he's played to get the best version of Jeff this year.' Simmons was on the field as the Titans started their mandatory three-day minicamp Tuesday. Simmons said he's lost about 20 pounds and weighed in Tuesday morning at 301. The Titans have been talking about how to improve their sack numbers. Simmons said it's a big emphasis for him and the defense knowing that simply pressuring quarterbacks doesn't win games. 'We got to stop saying just affect the quarterback,' Simmons said. "We've got to sack the quarterbacks.' Simmons, the 19th pick in 2019 from Mississippi State, finds himself as the longest-tenured member of the Titans' defense along with safety Amani Hooker, a fourth-round pick that same draft out of Iowa. Tennessee is trying to snap a skid of three straight losing seasons, the last a 3-14 mark in Callahan's debut as head coach. Simmons is a key piece of a defense that ranked second in the NFL in giving up 177.3 yards passing and 311.2 total yards per game. The Titans also were 26th against the run, allowing 133.9 yards and 30th in points per game (27.1). That led to Simmons' absence from the voluntary offseason program being criticized by outsiders. Simmons said working out on his own was a personal decision. 'It was a lot of different things that I did," Simmons said. "The biggest thing was being consistent with my every day living from my meal prep to the way I was training. ... I weighed in today on a good note.' Simmons showed off his speed carrying fewer pounds, breaking through at one point for what would have been a sack of rookie Cam Ward — the No. 1 overall draft pick. Simmons also gave Ward a nice taste of trash talking having heard how good the rookie is at that part of football. 'I haven't spent much time around them and talking smack to me and get back in the huddle and able to operate the offense, that's exciting,' Simmons said. 'And like I say, he got a lot of confidence.' Waiting on Sneed Callahan said cornerback L'Jarius Sneed probably won't be seen during this minicamp on the field. The Titans traded for Sneed last offseason, and the two-time Super Bowl champ played only five games before landing on injured reserve. The Titans coach said what they've seen from Sneed has been fantastic and they know his track record as a player. Now Callahan said Sneed has to prove that in Tennessee, which he hasn't done yet. 'We just hope we need to get that version of him out here for us,' Callahan said. ___
