For Will Hill, three strikes almost definitely mean he’s out when it comes to suiting up again for the Giants.
The talented but troubled safety has been suspended without pay for the first six games of the 2014 regular season, the NFL announced Friday, a punishment that is expected to be the death-knell for his career with the Giants.
Hill, yet again, was suspended for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse — in other words, illegal drugs. This is the third time the league has suspended Hill since he signed with the Giants in May of 2012. He has missed time in each of his three seasons.
He missed four games in 2012 for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing drugs (Hill said it was for Adderall) and missed the first four games in 2013 for violating the substance abuse policy (he admitted he tested positive for marijuana). He now has been hit with another suspension for using illegal drugs.
In December, Hill was arrested for being delinquent on child support payments, and when police pulled him over, they detected the smell of marijuana and evidence that marijuana was prepared and smoked in the car.
Hill appealed this latest and longest suspension, but the NFL denied the appeal. He is eligible to return on Oct. 13, but it’s close to certain he will be gone before then. The Giants worked long and hard to try to help Hill deal with his issues, and he rewarded then with outstanding play on the field, especially last season. But it is likely the team’s patience has run out after this third infraction.
If Hill remains, he stands to lose $201, 176 for missing six games. If he’s cut, he will lose his entire 2014 salary of $570,000.
The Giants’ front office bolstered the safety position, knowing this latest Hill suspension was looming, re-signing Stevie Brown (who had a team-high eight interceptions in 2012), adding veteran Quintin Demps and taking Nat Berhe in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
Brown and Antrel Rolle are the likely starters. Second-year player Cooper Taylor is also on the roster.
Hill, a New Jersey native whose troubles led to him not getting drafted after showing plenty of promise coming out of Florida, has spoken of his difficulties dealing with playing and living so close to his hometown of Jersey City.
He was a quiet, reserved presence in the locker room, but the 6-foot-1, 207-pound athlete, one of the Giants’ hardest hitters, was a force on the field. He broke through in 2013. In 12 games he amassed 77 tackles, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and two forced fumbles as an integral part of defensive coordinator Perry Fewell’s preferred three-safety look.
During the suspension, Hill can participate in the offseason and preseason practices and games — if the Giants still want him around. He was lined up this week with the second-team defense, with Brown — coming back after missing the entire 2013 season with a torn ACL — taking his place alongside Rolle with the starting defense.