Giants’ B.J. Hill doesn’t care if you think he’s boring
Rookie Giants defensive end B.J. Hill, a third-round pick out of N.C. State, tackles some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What is your career goal?
A: My career goal is to win at least four Super Bowls.
Q: Why four?
A: Why not?
Q: How did you come up with that number?
A: A lot of people don’t have four. A lot of people got one, two, maybe three … maybe five, why not?
Q: Are you aware how difficult it is to win?
A: Oh yeah. And I want to win ’em here too as well. That’s my goal. I want to be here for the rest of my career, and win ’em here.
Q: Why do you want to win them here?
A: I love it here. … Great people. Great organization, people in the front office. … Everybody’s great. At first I was like, I don’t know, it’s totally different from where I’m from [Oakboro, N.C.], but I fell in love with it. Just everything about it, and guys we’re bringing in, great guys. Special connection I guess. When I know, I know, and I love it up here.
Q: Do you notice the Lombardi Trophies in the lobby?
A: Oh yeah. Every time I walk in there I look at ’em.
Q: You stop and look at them?
A: Oh yeah. I’ll take a little peek. I mean, if I’m in a rush, I can’t stop every time. I love looking at ’em because I want to be there one day, I want to hold one up and say, “Hey, we did it.” A lot of people can’t say it.
Q: How good can you be?
A: I think I can be pretty good. I still got a long way to go. I’m improving each and every week. Still got a lot to learn. You can see on the film that I’m continuing getting better and better and better.
Q: Give me a scouting report on you.
A: See, I don’t know like talking about myself like that. … I don’t know. … I’ll let you give me a scouting report (smile). I don’t know. … I’ll say he’s tough … he loves the game … he does whatever it takes to win, taking on double-teams, getting to the quarterback.
Q: How often are you double-teamed?
A: I get double-teamed quite a bit.
Q: That must be a pain.
A: Sometimes it is, especially when they don’t come off, or you meet two big old dudes and hey, you just gotta sit there and hold the point.
Q: And you can do that.
A: Oh yeah.
Q: You were a running back at West Stanley High School, so analyze Saquon Barkley.
A: He’s everything you want.
Q: Is he unique?
A: Oh yeah, for sure. I don’t even know how to explain. It’s just crazy the plays he be making.
Q: What drives you?
A: My two nephews and a niece. They don’t have much. They just drive me every day to be the best me. I don’t want to see them see me fail or fall off. They mean the world to me. It’s just a special bond that we have. They always watch my games and cheer me on. You can see ’em wear Giants gear or North Carolina State gear when I used to play.
Q: If you could pick the brain of any defensive player, who would it be?
A: I would say right now, Khalil Mack, ’cause he’s one of the best pass rushers in the game. … J.J. Watt, just watching him on film it’s like, “Dang, you cannot block this dude,” and one of my favorites is Aaron Donald, for sure. Man got 16[-and-a-half] sacks, and he’s a beast.
Q: What is your best football moment?
A: When I got my first three-sack game [against the Bears in Week 13].
Q: What is your favorite sack so far?
A: I would say sacking Drew Brees [in Week 4]. … He’s one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Q: Describe head coach Pat Shurmur.
A: (Chuckle) He’s a good guy. He’s a low-key guy. He’s low-key funny too. He throws little comments out there in the team meeting room. I love the energy he brings every day to as well.
Q: Describe defensive coordinator James Bettcher.
A: I love him. He’s a great coach, he’s a great teacher. Just his energy that he brings every day makes me excited to come to work.
Q: Titans running back Derrick Henry is coming off a 238-yard, four-touchdown game against the Jaguars on Dec. 6. How much of a problem does he present?
A: We gotta make sure we hit him, tackle him, get him to the ground.
Q: Do you like playing against big running backs like that?
A: I don’t think I ever played against one this big.
Q: Hobbies?
A: I can’t really say I have any hobbies.
Q: You are a boring guy.
A: I’m telling ya, I don’t do much, keep my nose clean, stay low-key. When I go home after this … I don’t even know what I’m gonna do. Find something to eat, maybe … just relax. I don’t like doing too much.
Q: Do you watch TV?
A: I’m not even a big TV guy.
Q: So what do you do when you go home?
A: I really don’t do nothing. I’m a boring guy. I might lay on the couch, I might get a little nap in. Other than that, I might play a little bit of video games.
Q: You’re putting me to sleep.
A: I love being boring (smile).
Q: Describe Eli Manning.
A: (Chuckle) I’m getting to know Eli a little more.
Q: Why did you laugh when I mentioned Eli Manning?
A: I feel like me and him’s kind of the same. I feel like the vibe I get from him is my kind of vibe, like me and Eli can hang out, you know what I mean? ’Cause he’s boring, I’m boring, you know what I mean? One day I just sat down with Eli, he’s a great dude, just talked to him about how many years he’s been in the league, what do I need to do to play 15 years in the league.
Q: What did he tell you?
A: He just said, “Take care of your body, and be flexible.”
Q: From your Twitter: I truly believe the music you listen to plays a role in the way you speak to people and how you act.
A: It kind of controls the way your mind like thinks and how you act and your mood and stuff like that. I listen to a lot of gospel and Christian music, so I’m more of a low-key guy, I don’t do much. Sometimes you can listen to — I’m not saying everybody — but listen to some crazy stuff, and people do crazy things. That’s not always true, ’cause people can listen to good stuff like Christian music and do bad things.
Q: A Twitter complaint from you: How can you have a hibachi restaurant with no white sauce?
A: (Smile) Oh man! I went to the Benihana’s in New York. And they said they don’t have white sauce, I’m like, “Hold up.” So the way I do my hibachi, I like to pretty much cover it all in white sauce and just tear it up. That’s like drinking Kool-Aid with no sugar. You can’t do it.
Q: One more: My momma always told me to watch the company I keep because everybody is not your friend.
A: You just gotta watch the people you’re hanging out with. It can get you in trouble, being in the wrong spot at the wrong time, you never know. So I always keep a small circle. I can probably count on one hand, like close friends — or maybe two hands ’cause of college. I see some stuff happen to people where they mess up their whole future.
Q: What was your dream as a kid?
A: Be a basketball player at first.
Q: Who was your favorite basketball player?
A: Shaq [Shaquille O’Neal]. I feel like he’s probably the best player, to me, in NBA history, the most dominant player out there.
Q: Who are athletes in other sports you admire?
A: I’m a big LeBron [James] fan. And Chris Paul as well. Both of ’em, what they do off the field, too, I look up to that. One day I’m gonna get in that situation where they’re at and help people outside of football.
Q: Describe Oakboro.
A: It’s a small town with one stoplight. We got an elementary school right there, we got one grocery store called Food Lion, we got a Subway, two gas stations. We’re like we’re all one, we’re all close. I love it there. It’s a little bit country, but not too much.
Q: What are your favorite New York City things?
A: I went to the 9/11 museum. That was an experience I will never forget.
Q: When did you go there?
A: Probably about two months ago.
Q: You went with your girlfriend Cassady and her family. Describe her.
A: She’s a great person. She’s been right beside me since … forever. She’s a kind, loving person, always supporting me no matter what.
Q: You’ve known her since when?
A: Elementary school.
Q: How good of a running back were you at West Stanly High?
A: More downhill. No juke moves or no spin moves, nothing like that, but …
Q: The Bus, Jerome Bettis?
A: Yeah, The Bus — perfect.
Q: Do you cook for yourself sometimes?
A: My go-to is pasta. Chicken alfredo is one of my favorite meals. You can’t really mess it up, either. If you mess up the noodles, you got the chicken to eat.
Q: Boyhood idols?
A: One guy named Quan Sturdivant, who was in my hometown, he’s like probably one of the best players that ever came out, and Chris Paul, I played on his AAU team growing up.
Q: Describe your mom.
A: My mom’s awesome. She’s loving, she’s caring, she cares about other people more than she cares about herself. She’s a Christian lady, she loves God. You just gotta meet her, she’s just a wonderful person. That’s the one woman I do look up to who I want to live my life like because she’s amazing, she really is.
Q: Your father?
A: He’s awesome too, he’s a hard-working man, that’s where I get my hard work from, from both of ’em. He loves his children, too. They’re pretty much the same people.
Q: What does he do?
A: He works on like airplane pieces and stuff like that in a warehouse back in Oakboro.
Q: And your mom?
A: She’s a janitor back in my old high school.
Q: You got your degree in criminology?
A: I like giving back to the communities, and I want to help the community be a better place than it was, especially back at home or wherever I’m at.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: I just want dinner by myself (smile).
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Saving Private Ryan.”
Q: Favorite singer/entertainer?
A: Alicia Keys.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Hibachi.
Q: What else is on your bucket list?
A: I don’t have a bucket list.
Q: Did you have fun doing this?
A: Yeah, it wasn’t bad.
Q: I told you it wouldn’t be bad.
A: I’m a boring guy, man (smile).
