OAKBORO, N.C. — A football standout out of Stanly County, who now plays for the Cincinnati Bengals, made a critical play to help the team win the AFC Championship game Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Defensive tackle and Oakboro-native BJ Hill played for West Stanly High School. On Sunday, Hill picked up an interception to give his team a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie the game going into the fourth quarter.
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“I’m pretty sure it’s the first-ever probably for Stanly County,” said coach Charles Edwards. “First guy we’ve ever had play in the Super Bowl.”
Edwards has coached Hill since the fourth grade.
“Top notch,” Edwards told Channel 9. “Hardest worker in the weight room.”
Hill played for North Carolina State and after the Combine, was the third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Now, Hill is heading to Los Angeles to play in the big game.
“I’ve never heard anybody say a bad thing about BJ,” said Brett Morton, football coach at West Stanly High School. “Everyone giving him glowing recommendations on how great of a student he was and how hard a worker he has been.”
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Hill holds a youth football camp in Oakboro to help out young players in the community.
“He had a huge turnout for the youth camp,” Morton said. “Some of his buddies from the NFL and the kids turned out in droves. He spent time with every single one of them.”
A lot of people in the area rooting for their local athlete who will face the Los Angles Rams in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13.
“I think we all are Bengals fans right now!” Morton said.
(Watch the video below: Bengals lose No. 1 NFL draft pick QB Joe Burrow to apparent season-ending knee injury)
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