Oakland Tribune: Mack's Hill tells Cal he's headed to Berkeley

Star defensive tackle made big impression with Bears coach Tedford

By David Schoen, STAFF WRITER 

The story goes like this: Jeff Tedford, offensive guru and Cal's football coach, doesn't pay close attention to defensive players during the Golden Bears' summer camp for high school players.  But last summer, Tedford made an exception for McClymonds defensive tackle Derrick Hill.  "He sat down in the bleachers in (Memorial Stadium) and watched us scrimmage," Warriors coach Alonzo Carter recalled. "Afterward, he came up to me and said, 'I normally don't watch defensive guys in camp, but I enjoyed watching Derrick play.' To hear that from a head coach, that always stuck with me."  Starting this fall, Tedford will be able to watch Hill play as often as he wants.  Hill, a 6-foot-2, 280-pound standout who led Mack to the Silver Bowl and a No. 2 ranking in the East Bay, gave the Golden Bears a verbal commitment, choosing Cal over USC, Arizona, Oregon and Colorado. Hill's commitment is nonbinding, and the first day he can sign a letter-of-intent is Feb. 1. Cal's coaches can't comment until that time.  Hill is expected to make his announcement today when he participates in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio. The game starts at 10 a.m. and will be televised by NBC.  "It came down to, as far as academic wise, they were second to none," said Hill, who is fully qualified academically and plans to major in business with a minor in real estate. "Athletically, they are competing with the top teams in the nation."

Hill has been attending Cal camps since 10th grade, and Tedford was the first person to call and congratulate him after Mack topped Oakland Tech 49-7 in the Silver Bowl. The No. 8 defensive tackle prospect in the country according to Rivals.com finished the season with 105 tackles, 151/2 sacks, 45 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, one of which he took back for a touchdown. "Derrick is a blue-collar type of kid, and he does not get caught up in the hype," Carter said. "Derrick maintained from the beginning Cal was his first choice. He's a four-year Mack kid, born and raised in West Oakland. You've got a lot of Oakland kids doing some big things at Cal. There's some guys there he was able to relate to and talk to and have a comfort level." Hill, who participated in the CaliFlorida Bowl, has a chance to contribute as a true freshman for the Bears. "I'm going to take it as it comes," Hill said. "I'm not going to back down, but I'm not going to waste a year, either. If I can come in and be an impact player and help out the team in a way more than just being an extra body, I would like that. If they need me, I'll be there for them."