Photo by Kevin A. Koski on behalf of the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

PASADENA, Calif. – Slippery Rock University running back Wes Hills stole the show at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Saturday from Rose Bowl Stadium, taking home Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors in the nationally televised senior showcase game.
 
Hills averaged 7.8 yards per carry on limited touches and finished the game with 78 yards and one touchdown on just 10 carries. His touchdown run accounted for the lone offensive points of the day for the National Team, which dropped a 10-7 decision to the American Team.
 
A senior from Wildwood, New Jersey, Hills ate up major chunks of the national television broadcast on Fox Sports 1, drawing high praise from the announcers before and during the game and from National Team head coach Mike Tice at halftime.
 
Fox Sports reporter Bruce Feldman commented during the game that "Hills has been by far the breakout star here this week."
 
His performance in the game came as no surprise after an impressive week of practice in which Hills turned heads for NFL scouts all week. That attention earned him an invite to the Reese's Senior Bowl next Saturday in Mobile, Alabama, which is considered the premier senior showcase game in the country. That invite to the Senior Bowl likely limited Hills' total touches in the NFLPA game as he did not play an offensive series in the fourth quarter and saw limited action in the second half.
 
Hills showcased nearly all facets of his game Saturday, making numerous cuts, showing great vision, running through tackles and powering into the end zone with defenders on his back.

"We knew he would go out there and represent our program well, " said SRU head coach Shawn Lutz. "But we couldn't have asked for a better performance. He dominated the game when he had the ball in his hands and if you watched, you saw him flying around on special teams and working hard all over the field. When he scored that touchdown and flashed our logo on his gloves, it was great reminder that not only are we proud of him, but he's also proud to be representing Slippery Rock on the big stage. We're thrilled for him and we can't wait to keep seeing his progress."
 
The competition is expected to get stiffer next week at the Senior Bowl, where Hills will play on the South Team roster with more than 20 players from the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He is the only Division II player on the South Team, which will be coached by the current coaching staff of the San Francisco 49ers, and is one of just three Division II players in the game.
 
Stay tuned to www.RockAthletics.com and @Rock_Athletics on Twitter for live updates throughout the week leading up to the Senior Bowl, which will air live on the NFL Network next Saturday, Jan. 26, at 2:30 p.m. (EST).
 
 
To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official athletic communication accounts on Twitter (@Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics), Instagram (RockAthletics) and Snapchat (@RockAthletics).