| Wes Hills | |
| Current Team: | Michigan Panthers |
| Number: | 31 |
| Position: | Running back |
| Birth Date: | 5 June 1995 |
| Birth Place: | Wildwood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 2 |
| Weight Lbs: | 218 |
| College: | Delaware (2013–2016) Slippery Rock (2018) |
| Undraftedyear: | 2019 |
| Pastteams: | |
| Status: | Active |
| Highlights: |
|
| Statleague: | NFL |
| Statlabel1: | Rushing yards |
| Statvalue1: | 21 |
| Statlabel2: | Rushing average |
| Statvalue2: | 2.1 |
| Statvalue3: | 2 |
| Statlabel4: | Receptions |
| Statvalue4: | 2 |
| Statlabel5: | Receiving yards |
| Statvalue5: | 1 |
| Statlabel6: | Receiving touchdowns |
| Cflstatlabel1: | Rushing yards |
| Cflstatvalue1: | 404 |
| Cflstatlabel2: | Rushing average |
| Cflstatvalue2: | 5.5 |
| Cflstatlabel3: | Rushing touchdowns |
| Cflstatvalue3: | 1 |
| Cflstatlabel4: | Receptions |
| Cflstatvalue4: | 11 |
| Cflstatlabel5: | Receiving yards |
| Cflstatvalue5: | 105 |
| Pfr: | HillWe00 |
| Cfl: | wes-hills/164947 |
Wesley Ed Hills (born June 5, 1995) is an American professional gridiron football running back for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for Delaware and Slippery Rock. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League (USFL).
Hills attended and played high school football at Wildwood High School.[1] [2]
As a true freshman in 2013, Hills played in all 12 games for the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team. He had 10 rushing attempts for 81 yards and a touchdown. He had 172 carries for 952 yards and six touchdowns, along with nine receptions for 53 yards in 2014. In the first game of the 2015 season, he had 16 carries for 88 yards before suffering a season-ending foot injury in the game.[3]
In 2016, he played in seven games with five starts at running back and had 88 carries for 728 yards and seven touchdowns. In a game against Maine on October 8, he rushed for a career-high 242 yards and two touchdowns and was named Colonial Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.[4] He missed most of five games during the season with an injury. He earned third-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors on November 22, 2016.[5] Hills was declared academically ineligible for the 2017 season on August 2, 2017.[6]
Hills transferred to Division II Slippery Rock on February 7, 2018,[7] after his Division I eligibility expired. In 2018, he had 246 carries for 1,714 yards and had 28 receptions for 193 yards.[8] His 1,714 rushing yards broke the single-season school record for rushing yards. Hills earned first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division honors on November 14, 2018.[9] He was named to the second-team Associated Press Division II All-American team on December 12, 2018.[10]
In January 2019, Hills was selected to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, where after rushing for 78 yards and a touchdown, he was named game MVP.[11] [12] He was also selected to play in the 2019 Senior Bowl, where he had two carries for 22 yards in the game before leaving with an injury.[13]
Hills signed a three-year, $1.75 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent on May 10, 2019.[14] He was waived with an injury settlement during final roster cuts on August 31, 2019.[15]
On October 9, 2019, Hills was signed to the Detroit Lions' practice squad.[16] He was released from the practice squad on October 19, but re-signed to the practice squad on October 23.[17] He was promoted to the active roster on December 14, 2019.[18] He scored his first two career touchdowns on one-yard runs in a 38–17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 15, 2019.[19] Hills was waived on August 17, 2020,[20] but re-signed with the team three days later.[21] He was waived on September 5, 2020.[22]
Hills signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL on March 12, 2021,[23] and spent most of his first season in 2021 on the practice roster.[24] He had 25 rushes for 132 yards in a week 18 game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in October 2022, earning recognition from the league as a top performer for the week.[25] He finished the 2022 season with 69 carries for 384 yards and one touchdown, with 11 catches for 105 yards.[24] He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 14, 2023.[26] [27]
Hills signed with the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League on February 17, 2023.[28] In week 3 of the 2023 USFL season, Hills set a league rushing record in a game with 191 yards.[27] He was named Offensive Player of the Week for his performance by the league.[29] He led the league in rushing in 2023 with 679 yards,[30] and was named to the 2023 All-USFL team.[31] The Breakers folded when the XFL and USFL merged to create the United Football League (UFL).[32]
On January 5, 2024, Hills was selected by the Michigan Panthers during the 2024 UFL dispersal draft.[33] He was placed on injured reserve on May 20.[34]