Joe Hills finishes Arena League season in style

Joe Hills finished his Arena Football League season in a flourish that he hopes will get him invited to an NFL camp.

Joe Hills ends AFL season with flourish

The 6-5 Tampa Bay Storm receiver from Palmetto High caught a team high eight passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns in the team’s last regular season game, a 63-53 loss to Spokane.

In his final two games, Hills was the Storm’s main target hauling in a combined seven touchdown passes with 14 catches for 354 yards.

Hills, who got a chance to play regularly in the last couple of games because of injuries to other players, led the Storm receivers in yards per catching averaging 16.6 yards per reception.

For the season, Hills caught 39 passes for 648 yards and 13 touchdowns. In the finale against Spokane he had touchdown receptions of 45. 35 and 33 yards.

Hills, who finished his college career at Tennessee State after transferring from South Carolina, is working with an agent in hopes of landing a tryout with an NFL team. He was in the Tennessee Titans camp last year, but was released after getting injured.

Palmetto's Joe Hills man on fire for Tampa Storm

Joe Hills has big night for Tampa Storm

Joe Hills is quickly turning into a household name in the Arena Football League leading some to believe he might be able to use his time with the Tampa Bay Storm as a springboard into the NFL.

The Palmetto High product was a man on fire in the Storm’s recent 65-61 road victory over the Pittsburgh Power.

The wide receiver tore up the stat sheet for the Storm leading the team with 13 receptions for 160 yards and four touchdowns. The next busiest receiver for Tampa was Michael Lindsay who caught eight passes for 47 yards and two touchdowns.

Hills was all over the field. He recovered an onsides kick that the Storm later turned into the game winning touchdown. It was the first road victory of the year for Tampa and kept its playoff hopes alive with two regular season games remaining.

Inthe three games he has played in since joining the Storm, Hills has caught 25 passes for 294 yards and six touchdowns. With his height, athleticism and pass catching skills, he is now the most inviting target with former USF and Riverview High receiver Amarri Jackson out for the season with an injury.

Palmetto's Joe Hills has big night for Tampa Bay Storm

Joe Hills; photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie

Joe Hills fell seconds short of earning hero status, but still turned in a stellar performance for the Arena Football League Tampa Bay Storm.

The former Palmetto High standout caught his second touchdown pass with 37 seconds left in the game, which gave the Storm a 79-76 lead over the Philadelphia Soul Friday night at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Tampa missed clinching the game when defensive back Riley Swanson dropped a sure interception that would have sealed things and on the next play Philadelphia scored the winning touchdown.

Hills caught seven passes for 84 yards that included touchdown receptions of six yards each. The 6-5, 215 pound rookie from Tennessee State joined the team June 13th and in two games has caught 12 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

Hills played for the Spokane Shock earlier this season and caught 24 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2011 before being released as he battled some injuries.

Cut by Titans, Joe Hills vows he will be back

Cut short by an injury, Joe Hills is looking for another chance to prove himself to the NFL.

The receiver out of Palmetto hurt the meniscus in his right knee on the fourth day of training camp with the Tennessee Titans and it basically ruined any chance he had of making the team.

Hills was waived last week, but was told by the Titans they might call him and invite him to spend the season on their practice squad. His agent said other teams might also issue a similar invitation.

“They told me that my injury hurt me the most in regards to making the team,” Hills said. “I was never able to play in any pre-season games because of the injury and none of our scrimmages involved contact. I hurt my knee on passing drill where I caught the ball and came down with a defender on me and we kind of collided.”

The 6-4, 210 Hills, who played at Tennessee State, said he was keeping all his options open, including the United Football League and the Arena Football League.

“It was good experience going to an NFL camp. I really got to see the business side of football,” Hills said. “I feel confident that I can play in the NFL for a long time. I just need to be healthy. If I get a chance to be on the Titans practice squad I am going to take it. I already know their system so that would be best for me.

“I didn’t tear anything in my knee and feel I am back to one-hundred percent now. I just need to get warmed up and am ready to go.”

Hills said he hopes to hear something today (Sunday) and things should be sorted out by the end of the week at the latest.

Hills and Sanders try to make it as NFL frenzy continues

Since the NFL ended its lockout there has a been a frenzy out there and it has hit some of our local products.

Receiver Joe Hills out of Palmetto and Southeast graduate Terron Sanders got calls from the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens respectively soon after NFL teams were allowed to contact rookie free agents.

Both are expected to be in camp today fighting for a job. Hills likes his situation with the Titans. They are not expected to resign Randy Moss and their other top big receiver Kenny Britt, has had legals problems and is not someone who can be expected to bring stability to a team right now.

Nearly 6-5, Hills is bigger than receiver on the Titans depth chart and has the size that pro teams covet out of their wide receivers. Click here for full story.


Joe Hills

Could Tampa Bay Bucs select Palmetto's Mistral Raymond?

Palmetto High graduates Joe Hills and Mistral Raymond will be spending time back home this week hopefully waiting to hear their names called in the NFL draft.

The draft kicks off Thursday night with the first round. Rounds two and three will be held Friday and the final rounds (4-7) will take place Saturday beginning at Noon.

If drafted Hills and Raymond figure to be selected Saturday. A receiver, Hills has gotten his most serious look from Tennessee. Raymond, who can play cornerback or safety, has worked out for Chicago, Minnesota and Tampa Bay.

It has been reported that Chicago has the most interest in the former USF All Big East selection, but with the Tampa Bay Bucs playing a lot of nickel and dime packages and in need of defensive backs, Raymond could be an attractive choice for them.

Mistral Raymond's NFL stock rises as lockout continues

The NFL draft begins Thursday and there’s hope that a couple of Palmetto grads will have their name called before it ends Saturday with rounds four through seven.

Receiver Joe Hills is the most likely. Mistral Raymond was considered a long shot, but he is looked at differently now because a pro-long lockout creates a need for a defensive back who can step in at corner and safety.

There are reports the Bears could take Raymond because of the versatility he showed at USF playing both corner and safety at a high level. They need depth at corner behind Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings and could use help at safety alongside Chris Harris.

Raymond is viewed as a hybrid because he can play corner or safety and teams that need help at both are starting to look at the 6-1, 195 pounder more seriously.

The Bucs like to play a lot of nickel and dime defenses and with Ronde Barber not getting younger and Aquib Talib not getting it, you would think they might take a chance on a hometown guy like Raymond.

Tennessee likes Hills and could see him as a fifth receiver with Randy Moss reportedly unhappy and Kenny Britt arrested earlier this month.

On normal years without the lockout those two along with defensive tackle Terron Sanders from Florida/Southeast and perhaps defensive back Chris Smith (Northern Illinois/Palmetto) would be strong bets to at least get invited to camp.

Joe Hills gets workout invitation from Tennessee Titans

Palmetto High graduate Joe Hills turned in an impressive Pro Day, which got him an invitation to a private workout with the Tennessee Titans.

The Tennesee State University wide receiver wooed the crowd and caught the attention professional scouts who attended his workout at TSU's campus in Nashville.

Hills, looking chiseled at 6-5, 205 pounds turned in a 37 1/2 inch vertical jump, benched pressed 225 pounds 17 times and then ran a reported 4.61 second forty-yard dash time.

Hills, who caught 40 passes for 462 yards (11.6 avg) and four touchdowns last season, also displayed a nice set of soft hands and ability to catch anything thrown his way.