Aptly called Bamm-Bamm by his grandmother, junior defensive back Brandyn Hillman likes to knock guys over on the football field. He’s probably already on a collision course with a New Mexico ball carrier.
Even Hillman’s serene off-field pastime — bowling — involves knocking things over. Though claiming to do so with less aggression than how he uses his body on defense, Hillman uses his “B Hill” inscribed ball to topple bowling pins.
“For me to be like how I am on the field, bowling is kind of like my smoother thing, because I’ve been doing it with my mom for a little minute,” Hillman said Tuesday. “I used to live in Hawaii when I was younger because she was in the military. So I used to go bowling, the military kids used to bowl for free. So I used to, every summer, you literally go bowling every day. And then I picked it up, and I was like, and I was like, ‘Okay, did I actually like it?’ And I realized it keeps me calm.”
Joining him at the alley are the Michigan football team’s other key returners in the secondary, senior defensive back Zeke Berry and junior defensive back Jyaire Hill. And for all the prowess they proved stepping into starting roles a season ago, they’re similarly adept in the lanes, with Hillman claiming they all average near 200.
“Me, Zeke and (Hill) are really good bowlers, so we go bowling a lot,” Hillman said. “So that’s our thing. Whenever we’re not doing football or nothing, we go out to Revel and Roll, go bowling.”
Simply put, a bowling trip is just a group of friends hanging out. And the Wolverines won’t be complaining that their defensive backs are connected off the field, especially given the expectation for all three to step up as veterans on the defense. And for Hillman, it’s probably good he has a little calm at Revel and Roll before the storm he hopes to unleash against the Lobos.
Since last stepping on the field against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl, Hillman has had no choice but to keep it relatively calm. Only going up against teammates throughout spring ball and fall camp, Hillman had to tone down his propensity for knocking over opponents to keep his teammates healthy for the season, much to Michigan coach Sherrone Moore’s liking.
That ability to rock offensive players has been Hillman’s gift for a long time. He doesn’t foresee it taking him any time to flip that switch when the Wolverines take the field for the first time against New Mexico on Saturday.
“Pretty easy, just seeing a different color,” Hillman said of flipping the switch. “How I look at it is, they got the same colors as fucking Ohio State. So I just play like that to be honest — that’s me.”
A hard-hitter, that’s Hillman. For nearly eight months he’s been relegated to knocking over bowling pins rather than opposing ball carriers. But come Saturday, he’ll have his sights set on players in red. It’s not scarlet, but it’s close enough for Hillman.
