As a Jacksonville, Fla., native, Rashod Hill was right at home when he was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2016.
It turned out that he would have to leave his home state to take the next step in his career.
With the Jaguars headed in the wrong direction in 2016 and a coaching change on the horizon, Hill took an opportunity to jump ship from the Jaguars practice squad to the Minnesota Vikings 53-man roster in November of his rookie year.
There’s still a strong bond, though, between Hill and his connections from Jacksonville. The Jaguars were in Eagan for joint practices Wednesday, giving Hill a chance to get reacquainted with his old teammates and coaches even though he’s presently sidelined with a minor ankle injury.
During his six months in Jacksonville, Hill got to learn from then-offensive line coach Doug Marrone, currently the head coach of the Jaguars.
“I really liked him,” said Marrone, who was elevated to interim head coach a month after Hill left. “He did an outstanding job. He was very conscientious. Reminded me a lot of some of the players I’d worked in the past as far as guys that were free agents and, really, the light kind of turns on for them, and you see them putting in the extra time and the extra work.”
Hill made an early impression on the Jaguars coaching staff and earned a promotion to the active roster for the team’s Week 3 game in 2016. He didn’t play in it, but it was an early sign that Hill might be on track to get live snaps sooner rather than later.
The right tackle credits Marrone with helping him on his hand technique, which he later refined with the late Tony Sparano in Minnesota.
“[Hill] works hard, has good length, busts his butt in practice every day when he was on the scout team and did those things,” Marrone said, “so he had the ingredients to give himself an opportunity to play in this league.”
The Southern Miss product also got sharpened by going toe to toe with a rising defensive line, one that would soon take off and record 55 sacks in 2017 — second-best in the NFL.
“I knew they were going to take off,” said Hill. “Guys bought into the program, but I knew they were going to take off that year.”
Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue was also a rookie on that Jaguars team, a third-round pick out of Maryland who happens to be good friends with current Vikings star Stefon Diggs, a fellow Terrapin.
Being familiar with the Jacksonville area, Hill showed Ngakoue, a Washington D.C. native, around town.
“He showed me around the whole area, and we were basically working with each other each and every day in practice our rookie year,” Ngakoue told Zone Coverage, “just getting each other better, refining.”
Ngakoue has become a star with 20 sacks in his first two seasons. When told that Hill is in position to be Minnesota’s starting right tackle, Ngakoue broke out into a smile.
“That right there makes me happy,” he said, “because I know how far he’s come being undrafted, and I came from a similar situation being overlooked, being a third-round pick that’s well deserved, man.”
Hill battled through a stomach illness early in training camp to claim the starting role in Minnesota’s first preseason game in Denver. He is above second-round draft pick Brian O’Neill on the depth chart, giving him a chance to pass on the goodwill he experienced when he was a Jacksonville rookie.
“Rashod helps me out a ton,” said O’Neill, “and that’s something that as a rookie coming in you can’t be more thankful for when a guy who plays your position is really willing to help you as a player and also as a person.
“He’s been a mentor for me the last couple weeks on just what to expect off the field, how the whole thing rolls. Just checking in on me, texting me every couple nights, just ‘How you doing, man? Keep your head up.'”
The Vikings have placed a lot of faith in the undrafted Hill after seeing him start seven games last regular season. Minnesota is likely moving former right tackle Mike Remmers permanently to guard, opening the door for Hill to start on a weekly basis. The Vikings have said they want to see Hill improve his conditioning and concentration this season, especially after he lost several days of training due to illness.
“I’m getting to where I want to be,” Hill said. “I’m not where I want to be but I’m getting there.”
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