Shaun Hill
Encyclopedia
Shaun Hill is an American football
quarterback
for the Detroit Lions
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings
as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football
at Maryland
.
Hill has also played for the Amsterdam Admirals
and San Francisco 49ers
.
at quarterback
and 2-year starter at free safety at Parsons Senior High School
. He was a two-time All-Southeast Kansas League 1st-team selection and an honorable mention All-State as a senior. He lettered in basketball
, baseball
and track
and was a three-time All-SEK 1st-team choice in basketball
. As a team captain in hoops, he earned All-State honors 3 years and guided the team to the state tournament as a sophomore and senior.
, where he earned honorable mention All-American honors as a freshman and sophomore. His junior college success garnered him notice, and he eventually decided to attend college at University of Maryland
. While serving primarily as a backup as a junior, he led the Maryland Terrapins
to their first Atlantic Coast Conference
title since 1985 as a senior in 2001. They earned a trip to the 2002 Orange Bowl and finished the year ranked #10 in the country. He finished his Maryland career with 3,158 yards and 19 touchdowns.
. He ended up signing as a free agent
with the Minnesota Vikings
, where he spent the season as a 3rd-string backup. He took his first career snaps for the Vikings on the final two plays of the 2005 NFL season
, taking a knee
both times.
of NFL Europe
, where he led the league in passing yards and tied for second in touchdowns.
depth chart, behind Trent Dilfer
and Alex Smith
. He went 15/23 (65.2%) for 162 Yds, no touchdowns and one interception. He spent the 2006 regular season
on the sidelines, taking no snaps.
Hill completed 13 of 20 passes for 148 yards with one interception in the San Francisco 49ers
' 17-13 preseason opening loss to the Denver Broncos
on August 16, 2007. He demonstrated great pocket mobility but had difficulty in the red zone, throwing one interception in his first drive and then nearly throwing an interception at almost exactly the same place the second time down the field. In the last game of the 2007 preseason against the San Diego Chargers
, Hill attempted to put the 49ers in field goal range to tie the game. With 16 seconds left on the clock, he threw two deep balls to his wide receivers but both missed their targets, and the second was intercepted, ending the game with the Chargers ahead, 16–13.
Hill made his 49ers regular-season debut on December 9, 2007, after Trent Dilfer
suffered a severe concussion. He completed 22 of 27 pass attempts for 181 yards and one touchdown in a loss to his former team, the Minnesota Vikings. Despite his excellent statistics, Hill was critical of his performance, adding, "There [are] a lot of things I need to get better at. Some of that is about getting comfortable playing again. Some things made me want to throw up. Some things, the execution was poor but the results were good on my part. Some things I got away with. The results were better than my execution."
Since Dilfer's injury was serious enough to sideline him for the rest of the season, Hill made his first NFL start on December 15, 2007 in a victory against the Cincinnati Bengals
. Hill completed 21 of 28 pass attempts for 197 yards, ran for a touchdown and threw a touchdown. Hill was set to be the starter for the remainder of the 2007 season.
On December 18, 2007, the 49ers
announced that they had an interest in re-signing Hill, to provide competition against Alex Smith
. However, the contract extension, along with its negotiations, were dependent on Hill's performance for the rest of the season. On December 23, 2007, Hill made his second career start, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. He completed 11 of 24 pass attempts for 123 yards and three touchdown passes, to Darrell Jackson
, fellow former Terrapin
Vernon Davis
, and Frank Gore
. The 49ers won 21-19.
Hill suffered a back injury during the week 16 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, when rookie Gaines Adams
hit him after a throw, drawing a 15-yard personal foul. As a result, Hill was unable to play in week 17 against the Cleveland Browns
. Chris Weinke
played in his place.
In February 2008, Hill signed a new 3-year contract with the 49ers, with contractual terms not released to the media. The undrafted Hill competed for the starting job against Alex Smith
and J. T. O'Sullivan in training camp and the 2008 preseason. O'Sullivan ended up getting the job and Hill became the primary backup after Smith was put on injured reserve early in the season.
Hill did not play until 49ers interim head coach Mike Singletary
took over on October 27. After J. T. O'Sullivan committed his second turnover against the Seattle Seahawks
that was returned for a touchdown, he was pulled from the lineup and Hill replaced him with solid output: 15 of 23 for 173 yards with one touchdown to Jason Hill
and no turnovers, but he could not rescue the 49ers, who lost 34–13.
Despite the loss, Hill was named as Singletary's no. 1 QB for the remainder of the 2008 season. His 2008 starting debut was in week 10, on Monday Night Football
against the Arizona Cardinals
.
Shortly after the Seahawks game, reports surfaced] that Nolan and offensive coordinator Mike Martz
allegedly made up stories about Hill having a tired arm in the preseason so that O'Sullivan, who played for Martz when he was offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions
, would win the starting job without a real challenge.
On Monday Night Football
against the heavily-favored Arizona Cardinals
, Hill delivered a solid performance in the first half. Hill completed a 31 yard touchdown to Josh Morgan
to put the 49ers up 14-3, and then struck later with a 20 yard touchdown to Vernon Davis
shortly before half-time. However, in the second half, Hill threw an interception at a critically bad time to give the Cardinals the 24-29 lead. Hill also threw a second interception on an attempted shovel pass at the Arizona 20 yard line. Despite this, Shaun Hill drove the 49ers down the field twice, the first with 3:39, and the second with only 1:04 left on the game clock. Hill's last pass of the game was a completion to Jason Hill
to bring the 49ers to the Arizona goal line. Unfortunately, the 49ers were unable to score the game-winning touchdown. Coincidentally, on Monday Night Football of the 2007 season against the Cardinals, the 49ers drove to the goal line in a similar fashion, and were able to get the game-winning touchdown.
During week 11 of the 2008 NFL season
, Hill broke his career single-game passing record in yards, in a 35-16 victory over the St. Louis Rams
by throwing for 213 yards and 2 touchdowns and running for a third. He was awarded NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
In week 12, Hill got his first 300-yard passing game in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Hill delivered an impressive come-back performance in Week 16 against the St. Louis Rams
. After throwing three interceptions in the first three quarters, 49ers coaches Mike Singletary
and Mike Martz
were preparing to bench Hill for J.T. O'Sullivan
. Hill convinced his coach to leave him the 4th quarter and then drove 80 yards, finishing with a touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce
for his 1000th career reception. Now down 16-10 and under three minutes left on the clock, Hill got the ball back and completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Josh Morgan
. The 49ers defense intercepted Marc Bulger
ending any chance of a Rams comeback and capping Hill's first big come from behind win.
In a week 17 thriller against the Washington Redskins
, Hill was showing difficulty, throwing an interception in the first half and no touchdowns. However, in the fourth quarter, Hill took the lead by completing a 9-yard touchdown pass to Jason Hill
. Later, with the game tied at 24-24, Hill drove down the field with one minute left on the game clock to set up a game-winning Joe Nedney
field goal.
With the victory, Hill improved to a 5-3 record on the season, and a 7-3 record as a starter all time. He finished the season with 13 passing touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 2,046 passing yards, and a 87.5 quarterback rating in 9 games (8 as a starter).
49ers head coach Mike Singletary
had stated that Hill would be the starting quarterback going into training camp in 2009 but would compete with former number-one overall draft pick
Alex Smith
for the regular season starting job.
Hill was named the starter for the 49ers preseason opener versus the Denver Broncos
, where he would throw only two passes, completing both.
On August 25, Hill was named the 49ers' starting quarterback for the regular season, defending his starting title over Smith.
Hill made his season-opening debut on September 13 against the Arizona Cardinals
. Hill made a fourth quarter touchdown pass to Frank Gore
to win the game 20-16. With the win, Hill improved to 8-3 as a starter.
The following week against the Seattle Seahawks
, Hill completed 19 of 26 passes for 144 yards and also ran once for 17 yards. The 49ers won 23-10, and Hill would continue his undefeated streak of six home victories. After a 35-0 drubbing of St. Louis, he extended it to 7-0.
Arguably, one of Hill's best games came in week 3 on the road against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. Hill was 15/25, for 195 yards, with two touchdowns, and one interception in the game. Hill led the 49ers to a lead near the end of the game, but Brett Favre ultimately threw a 30 yard touchdown pass with two seconds left to win for the Vikings.
After a scoreless first half in the game against the Houston Texans
in week 7, Singletary benched Hill and put Alex Smith into the game. Smith rallied the 49ers with three touchdowns to bring the score from 0-21 to 21-24. Although the 49ers lost the game, the comeback earned Smith the starting quarterback position in the next game against the Indianapolis Colts
on November 1. Hill served as Smith's backup for the rest of the season.
in exchange for a seventh round draft pick in 2011 on March 14, 2010. The Lions signed him to a one year contract on July 12, 2010. He entered the Lions first game of the 2010 season when starter Matt Stafford was injured. Hill threw 9 receptions on 19 attempts with 88 yards and one interception leading Detroit to within the 30 yard line with under 30 seconds to go. Hill threw what seemed to be the game winning touchdown but was later ruled incomplete by a technicality in the NFL rule book, which is now being referred to as the "Calvin Johnson Rule" He was injured while filling in for the injured Matthew Stafford October 17, 2010, against the New York Giants. The Lions have announced that he suffered a fracture of his left (non-throwing) forearm. Hill will start for the Lions during Week 10 (vs Buffalo) because of an injury suffered by Matthew Stafford during week 9. Hill capped the season with victories against the Miami Dolphins
and Minnesota Vikings
, and the Lions finished 6–10. He quickly established himself as one of the best backup QBs in the league.
major at Maryland
. He participated in several Viking Children's Fund events and has supported the Muscular Dystrophy Association
. He joined former Vikings Head Coach
Mike Tice
as a former Terrapin quarterback and was team mates at Maryland with current Vikings linebacker
E.J. Henderson. Hill kept a weekly journal chronicling his adventures in Europe
for fans on former team's website, Vikings.com.
Shaun enjoys fishing
. The quarterback started reeling in fish that were inhabitants of farm ponds in his home state of Kansas during high school. When he lived in Minnesota as a member of the Vikings, Shaun caught a 30-inch, nine-pound walleye
on his first try. He was able to lure the fish using a leech
for bait 40 feet deep. Also in his fishing repertoire is a 48-inch Muskellunge
. On January 31, 2011, his father, Ted Hill, died after falling while helping his son work on a barn.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
Hill has also played for the Amsterdam Admirals
Amsterdam Admirals
The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team in NFL Europe based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.-History:The Admirals were formed in 1995 as part of the NFL's plan to restart the World League of American Football, to be based entirely in Europe...
and San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
.
Early years
Hill was a three-year starterStarting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
at quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and 2-year starter at free safety at Parsons Senior High School
Parsons Senior High School
Parsons Senior High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Parsons, Kansas, USA, serving students in grades 9-12. Parsons Senior High is the only high school located within the city limits of Parsons, KS. The school colors are blue and gold and the school mascot is the Viking...
. He was a two-time All-Southeast Kansas League 1st-team selection and an honorable mention All-State as a senior. He lettered in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
and was a three-time All-SEK 1st-team choice in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. As a team captain in hoops, he earned All-State honors 3 years and guided the team to the state tournament as a sophomore and senior.
College career
Hill was not highly recruited out of high school. The local college Pittsburg State University did not offer him a scholarship at QB and wanted him for punter, he went to Hutchinson Community College and beat out five players to start at QB for two years and gain Division I attention. He spent his first two years at Hutchinson Community CollegeHutchinson Community College
Hutchinson Community College is a two-year college located in Hutchinson, Kansas. Its mascot is the Blue Dragon. Philadelphia Phillies reliever Mike Zagurski attended the school.-External links:*...
, where he earned honorable mention All-American honors as a freshman and sophomore. His junior college success garnered him notice, and he eventually decided to attend college at University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. While serving primarily as a backup as a junior, he led the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 27 men's and women's athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
to their first Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
title since 1985 as a senior in 2001. They earned a trip to the 2002 Orange Bowl and finished the year ranked #10 in the country. He finished his Maryland career with 3,158 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Minnesota Vikings
Hill was not considered an NFL prospect and so went undrafted in the 2002 NFL Draft2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
. He ended up signing as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
with the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, where he spent the season as a 3rd-string backup. He took his first career snaps for the Vikings on the final two plays of the 2005 NFL season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, taking a knee
Quarterback kneel
In American football, a quarterback kneel, also called taking a knee, genuflect offense, or victory formation occurs when the quarterback immediately kneels to the ground after receiving the snap. It is primarily used to run the clock down, either at the end of the first half or the game itself, in...
both times.
Amsterdam Admirals
In order to get more experience, Hill spent the Spring of 2003 with the Amsterdam AdmiralsAmsterdam Admirals
The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team in NFL Europe based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.-History:The Admirals were formed in 1995 as part of the NFL's plan to restart the World League of American Football, to be based entirely in Europe...
of NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
, where he led the league in passing yards and tied for second in touchdowns.
San Francisco 49ers
Hill entered the 2006 NFL preseason third on the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
depth chart, behind Trent Dilfer
Trent Dilfer
Trent Farris Dilfer is a former football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sixth overall in the 1994 NFL Draft and went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football...
and Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
. He went 15/23 (65.2%) for 162 Yds, no touchdowns and one interception. He spent the 2006 regular season
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
on the sidelines, taking no snaps.
Hill completed 13 of 20 passes for 148 yards with one interception in the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
' 17-13 preseason opening loss to the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on August 16, 2007. He demonstrated great pocket mobility but had difficulty in the red zone, throwing one interception in his first drive and then nearly throwing an interception at almost exactly the same place the second time down the field. In the last game of the 2007 preseason against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Hill attempted to put the 49ers in field goal range to tie the game. With 16 seconds left on the clock, he threw two deep balls to his wide receivers but both missed their targets, and the second was intercepted, ending the game with the Chargers ahead, 16–13.
Hill made his 49ers regular-season debut on December 9, 2007, after Trent Dilfer
Trent Dilfer
Trent Farris Dilfer is a former football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sixth overall in the 1994 NFL Draft and went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football...
suffered a severe concussion. He completed 22 of 27 pass attempts for 181 yards and one touchdown in a loss to his former team, the Minnesota Vikings. Despite his excellent statistics, Hill was critical of his performance, adding, "There [are] a lot of things I need to get better at. Some of that is about getting comfortable playing again. Some things made me want to throw up. Some things, the execution was poor but the results were good on my part. Some things I got away with. The results were better than my execution."
Since Dilfer's injury was serious enough to sideline him for the rest of the season, Hill made his first NFL start on December 15, 2007 in a victory against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. Hill completed 21 of 28 pass attempts for 197 yards, ran for a touchdown and threw a touchdown. Hill was set to be the starter for the remainder of the 2007 season.
On December 18, 2007, the 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
announced that they had an interest in re-signing Hill, to provide competition against Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
. However, the contract extension, along with its negotiations, were dependent on Hill's performance for the rest of the season. On December 23, 2007, Hill made his second career start, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. He completed 11 of 24 pass attempts for 123 yards and three touchdown passes, to Darrell Jackson
Darrell Jackson
Darrell Lamont Jackson is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for nine seasons...
, fellow former Terrapin
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis
-2006 rookie season:Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006. He added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run. Davis played in ten games in...
, and Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
. The 49ers won 21-19.
Hill suffered a back injury during the week 16 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, when rookie Gaines Adams
Gaines Adams
Gaines Adams was an American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round in the 2007 NFL Draft and in 2009 was traded to the Chicago Bears...
hit him after a throw, drawing a 15-yard personal foul. As a result, Hill was unable to play in week 17 against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Chris Weinke
Chris Weinke
Christopher Jon Weinke is a former professional American football and baseball player. After spending six years in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league baseball system, he enrolled at Florida State University at the age of 26, and played quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles...
played in his place.
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
and J. T. O'Sullivan in training camp and the 2008 preseason. O'Sullivan ended up getting the job and Hill became the primary backup after Smith was put on injured reserve early in the season.
Hill did not play until 49ers interim head coach Mike Singletary
Mike Singletary
Michael "Mike" Singletary is an American football coach and former professional football player. He is currently the linebacker coach and assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL....
took over on October 27. After J. T. O'Sullivan committed his second turnover against the Seattle Seahawks
2008 Seattle Seahawks season
The 2008 Seattle Seahawks season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League. The Seahawks' streak of four consecutive NFC West divisional championships was broken, as they fell to a 4-12 record...
that was returned for a touchdown, he was pulled from the lineup and Hill replaced him with solid output: 15 of 23 for 173 yards with one touchdown to Jason Hill
Jason Hill (American football)
Jason Hill is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football for Washington State University....
and no turnovers, but he could not rescue the 49ers, who lost 34–13.
Despite the loss, Hill was named as Singletary's no. 1 QB for the remainder of the 2008 season. His 2008 starting debut was in week 10, on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
against the Arizona Cardinals
2008 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2008 Arizona Cardinals season was the 89th season for the team in the National Football League and their 21st season in Arizona. The season marked the Cardinals' first-ever Super Bowl appearance, coming as a result of their victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship.The...
.
Shortly after the Seahawks game, reports surfaced] that Nolan and offensive coordinator Mike Martz
Mike Martz
Michael Martz is a former NFL head coach and currently the offensive coordinator for the National Football League's Chicago Bears....
allegedly made up stories about Hill having a tired arm in the preseason so that O'Sullivan, who played for Martz when he was offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, would win the starting job without a real challenge.
On Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
against the heavily-favored Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Hill delivered a solid performance in the first half. Hill completed a 31 yard touchdown to Josh Morgan
Josh Morgan
Joshua Lewis Morgan is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech.-High school career:Morgan played quarterback, wide receiver...
to put the 49ers up 14-3, and then struck later with a 20 yard touchdown to Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis
-2006 rookie season:Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006. He added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run. Davis played in ten games in...
shortly before half-time. However, in the second half, Hill threw an interception at a critically bad time to give the Cardinals the 24-29 lead. Hill also threw a second interception on an attempted shovel pass at the Arizona 20 yard line. Despite this, Shaun Hill drove the 49ers down the field twice, the first with 3:39, and the second with only 1:04 left on the game clock. Hill's last pass of the game was a completion to Jason Hill
Jason Hill (American football)
Jason Hill is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football for Washington State University....
to bring the 49ers to the Arizona goal line. Unfortunately, the 49ers were unable to score the game-winning touchdown. Coincidentally, on Monday Night Football of the 2007 season against the Cardinals, the 49ers drove to the goal line in a similar fashion, and were able to get the game-winning touchdown.
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
, Hill broke his career single-game passing record in yards, in a 35-16 victory over the St. Louis Rams
2008 St. Louis Rams season
The 2008 St. Louis Rams season was the 71st season for the team in the National Football League and their 14th in St. Louis, Missouri. They hoped to improve upon their 3-13 record from last season but the season was a complete disaster, and their worst season ever. Not only did they fail to...
by throwing for 213 yards and 2 touchdowns and running for a third. He was awarded NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
In week 12, Hill got his first 300-yard passing game in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Hill delivered an impressive come-back performance in Week 16 against the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. After throwing three interceptions in the first three quarters, 49ers coaches Mike Singletary
Mike Singletary
Michael "Mike" Singletary is an American football coach and former professional football player. He is currently the linebacker coach and assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL....
and Mike Martz
Mike Martz
Michael Martz is a former NFL head coach and currently the offensive coordinator for the National Football League's Chicago Bears....
were preparing to bench Hill for J.T. O'Sullivan
J.T. O'Sullivan
John Thomas "J. T." O'Sullivan is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at UC Davis....
. Hill convinced his coach to leave him the 4th quarter and then drove 80 yards, finishing with a touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce
Isaac Bruce
Isaac Isidore Bruce is a retired American football wide receiver. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Memphis....
for his 1000th career reception. Now down 16-10 and under three minutes left on the clock, Hill got the ball back and completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Josh Morgan
Josh Morgan
Joshua Lewis Morgan is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech.-High school career:Morgan played quarterback, wide receiver...
. The 49ers defense intercepted Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
ending any chance of a Rams comeback and capping Hill's first big come from behind win.
In a week 17 thriller against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, Hill was showing difficulty, throwing an interception in the first half and no touchdowns. However, in the fourth quarter, Hill took the lead by completing a 9-yard touchdown pass to Jason Hill
Jason Hill (American football)
Jason Hill is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football for Washington State University....
. Later, with the game tied at 24-24, Hill drove down the field with one minute left on the game clock to set up a game-winning Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
field goal.
With the victory, Hill improved to a 5-3 record on the season, and a 7-3 record as a starter all time. He finished the season with 13 passing touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 2,046 passing yards, and a 87.5 quarterback rating in 9 games (8 as a starter).
49ers head coach Mike Singletary
Mike Singletary
Michael "Mike" Singletary is an American football coach and former professional football player. He is currently the linebacker coach and assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL....
had stated that Hill would be the starting quarterback going into training camp in 2009 but would compete with former number-one overall draft pick
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
for the regular season starting job.
Hill was named the starter for the 49ers preseason opener versus the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he would throw only two passes, completing both.
On August 25, Hill was named the 49ers' starting quarterback for the regular season, defending his starting title over Smith.
Hill made his season-opening debut on September 13 against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Hill made a fourth quarter touchdown pass to Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
to win the game 20-16. With the win, Hill improved to 8-3 as a starter.
The following week against the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, Hill completed 19 of 26 passes for 144 yards and also ran once for 17 yards. The 49ers won 23-10, and Hill would continue his undefeated streak of six home victories. After a 35-0 drubbing of St. Louis, he extended it to 7-0.
Arguably, one of Hill's best games came in week 3 on the road against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. Hill was 15/25, for 195 yards, with two touchdowns, and one interception in the game. Hill led the 49ers to a lead near the end of the game, but Brett Favre ultimately threw a 30 yard touchdown pass with two seconds left to win for the Vikings.
After a scoreless first half in the game against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in week 7, Singletary benched Hill and put Alex Smith into the game. Smith rallied the 49ers with three touchdowns to bring the score from 0-21 to 21-24. Although the 49ers lost the game, the comeback earned Smith the starting quarterback position in the next game against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
on November 1. Hill served as Smith's backup for the rest of the season.
Detroit Lions
Hill was traded to the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in exchange for a seventh round draft pick in 2011 on March 14, 2010. The Lions signed him to a one year contract on July 12, 2010. He entered the Lions first game of the 2010 season when starter Matt Stafford was injured. Hill threw 9 receptions on 19 attempts with 88 yards and one interception leading Detroit to within the 30 yard line with under 30 seconds to go. Hill threw what seemed to be the game winning touchdown but was later ruled incomplete by a technicality in the NFL rule book, which is now being referred to as the "Calvin Johnson Rule" He was injured while filling in for the injured Matthew Stafford October 17, 2010, against the New York Giants. The Lions have announced that he suffered a fracture of his left (non-throwing) forearm. Hill will start for the Lions during Week 10 (vs Buffalo) because of an injury suffered by Matthew Stafford during week 9. Hill capped the season with victories against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, and the Lions finished 6–10. He quickly established himself as one of the best backup QBs in the league.
Personal
Hill was a kinesiologyKinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
major at Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
. He participated in several Viking Children's Fund events and has supported the Muscular Dystrophy Association
Muscular Dystrophy Association
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is an American organization which combats muscular dystrophy and diseases of the nervous system and muscular system in general by funding research, providing medical and community services, and educating health professionals and the general public...
. He joined former Vikings Head Coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Mike Tice
Mike Tice
Michael Peter Tice is an American football National Football League coach, best known as the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He is currently the offensive line coach for the Chicago Bears.-Playing career:...
as a former Terrapin quarterback and was team mates at Maryland with current Vikings linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
E.J. Henderson. Hill kept a weekly journal chronicling his adventures in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for fans on former team's website, Vikings.com.
Shaun enjoys fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. The quarterback started reeling in fish that were inhabitants of farm ponds in his home state of Kansas during high school. When he lived in Minnesota as a member of the Vikings, Shaun caught a 30-inch, nine-pound walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
on his first try. He was able to lure the fish using a leech
Leech
Leeches are segmented worms that belong to the phylum Annelida and comprise the subclass Hirudinea. Like other oligochaetes such as earthworms, leeches share a clitellum and are hermaphrodites. Nevertheless, they differ from other oligochaetes in significant ways...
for bait 40 feet deep. Also in his fishing repertoire is a 48-inch Muskellunge
Muskellunge
A muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...
. On January 31, 2011, his father, Ted Hill, died after falling while helping his son work on a barn.