Alabama Running Back Daniel Hill Honing His Body and Pass Protection Ahead of Junior Year

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - No more cookies for Alabama running back Daniel Hill.

The junior running back returns for his third season at the Capstone after undergoing one of the biggest body transformations on the team this offseason. Hill's updated roster weight lists the Mississippian at 236 pounds, down eight pounds from last year's 244-pound playing weight.

"Just here and there, junk food a little bit," Hill said. "I wasn't eating a lot of junk food, but it was just here and there. I had to cut that out."

The running back said he and the Crimson Tide coaching staff discussed ways to improve in the offseason and decided adjusting his body composition would help him be more successful in the backfield this fall.

"I had to just go back and see what I was doing wrong," Hill said. "I had to change the way I was eating, cardio more, and that's really it, and just keep working at that. That's something that I felt like I needed to change, the coaches felt like I needed to change. I made a commitment to myself to get my weight down."

He menioned cookies as a weakness, but is already seeing the benifits of leaving them in the past.

"I feel good," Hill said. "I feel way faster, my body feels better. Like all the little knack injuries, I'm not having those anymore. I just feel better as a whole."

The rising junior was second on the team last season, rushing for 294 yards and first out of the backfield, hauling in 28 passes for 203 yards in his first season seeing significant playing time. Hill mentioned his weight loss journey was intended to keep him on the field longer this fall and make him more explosive.

Hill's improved physique will afford him more playing time this falll, but improving one specific area of his game will accomplish the same goal.

"Pass pro," Hill said. "I wanted to do better in pass pro. I know I gave up a few sacks last year, and as a running back, that just can't happen. We've got to protect the quarterback. That's something that I feel like I need to work on, and I'm going to continue to work on it."

The junior didn't get much pass protection experience in high school and said taking technique and schematic knowlege from the classroom to the playing surface is his biggest focus this spring.

"Just really technique and knowing when to use technique," Hill said. "Knowing where to go is one part, but actually blocking the guy is a whole different aspect of the game. That's something I feel like I needed to work on, and I'm going to continue to do that."

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