Troy Hill sat in front of a Los Angeles Rams banner for the first time since the 2020 season — addressing the L.A. media in his return to the “Rams House” on Monday, May 2.
Hill, a beloved local defender for the Rams from Ventura, California, was lured back to the team he played for from 2016 to 2020 during day two of the NFL Draft.
🚨 WE HAVE A TRADE TO ANNOUNCE 🚨
Hill may have felt excited about seeing the Southern California sun again. But the slot cornerback also delivered a blunt reaction on how he was treated in the end by the Cleveland Browns.
‘I Feel Disrespected’
Hill, who has snatched all seven of his career interceptions in a Rams uniform, may have been all smiles in talking to the L.A. media once again. But he told them he also felt the “disrespect” in the end by his last league employer.
“To be honest, the whole fact of me getting traded — I was already motivated from last season, but just me getting traded, especially for a fifth-round pick, I feel some type of way, I feel disrespected,” Hill told the media representatives.
Not only did Hill have a one season stay in Cleveland, but his starts were truncated too. Hill only cracked the starting rotation in four games and played in 12 contests total. He ended the season producing 49 tackles with 34 solo stops but no interceptions. His one career highlight in a Brown uniform: Producing a career-best seven tackles for a loss.
How Watching Rams Celebrate Title Sat With Him
Meanwhile, he watched his former Rams teammates roll through the season as Super Bowl 56 champions. How did Hill feel watching the celebration unfold from Cleveland?
“It was cool, just being able to see everybody go out there and enjoy that moment that they got,” Hill said. “I was happy for them, just knowing all the working they put in, that they was able to accomplish that goal. It was a little tough on the other end, too, because it’s always that ‘Coulda, woulda, shoulda,’ type of thing. Like I said, I was excited for them though.”
There were moments, though, when he tried to carry over what he learned from the Rams over to a different organization, which left Hill with some confusion.
“I definitely did (feel the same way about the Rams),” Hill said. “Even when I was in Cleveland, I always found myself trying to compare things to how it was done over here in L.A. I don’t know if it was me more so just trying to compare it as far as like, this is what a winning program do, or if I was just missing everything that was happening over here.”
But now, Hill can wake up to the California sunrise once again and enjoy warmer weather.
“I was excited about being able to come back here and get some of this sunshine,” Hill said.
And once again, he’s going into a defensive back room loaded on talent with All-Pro Jalen Ramsey, safety captain Jordan Fuller, old teammates Taylor Rapp and David Long Jr. and now, some newcomers via the draft.
“When you have the players (we had) in our secondary, everybody was capable of making plays, you don’t want to be the weak link,” Hill said. “So that’s kind of where my mindset was at. I always felt like once the ball was in my hand, I could do something with it, too.”
Hill is re-energized being back with the Rams. But this time, following how abrupt his Cleveland chapter ended, he’s more motivated than ever before.
“I’m definitely coming out and playing with a chip on my shoulder, for sure,” Hill said.
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Returning Rams Defender Felt ‘Disrespected’ by Last Team