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Anthem protest shines light on Greg Hill and Mission High
Greg Hill left Washington, D.C. for San Francisco two years ago to help shape young lives.
The first-year Mission football head coach has found himself in the middle of a national debate and the center of media attention after his team collectively took a knee during the national anthem of a Sept. 10 game at Redwood-Larkspur.
The Chronicle reported the team’s sign of unity five days later and the following morning, the day of the Bears’ nonleague game at San Mateo, Hill was swarmed by reporters.
“I did four or five television interviews, then got on the team bus that afternoon,” said Hill, a professional physical trainer.
Beat.
Besides local television reports, Time magazine, the New York Times and USA Today have come calling about the Bears backing Colin Kaepernick’s stand on what Hill said Monday is simply “a nonviolent protest of innocent people getting killed.”
A USA Today reporter staffed the team’s 45-6 win at previously unbeaten Mills-Millbrae on Saturday.
“Man, did that feel good,” Hill said.
Every one of our games have been winnable.
Hill, 41, is from Long Island, N.Y. He said he played collegiately at Long Island University Post and some arena football before becoming an assistant coach at lower levels, including Eastern High in Washington.
When Albano surprisingly left late in June to take a job in Oregon, Hill, working with the kids in the weight room, “just took the lead role.”
The idea for the racially mixed team to kneel at Redwood was started by Harris on the team bus.
Hill didn’t expect all but one on the 35-man roster to follow suit.
Hill wasn’t one of them, yet said, “I stand proudly for them and their decision.”
Hill said all the attention hasn’t been a big distraction for the team or a reason for its slow start.
“Life is throwing a lot of life at us,” he said.
[...] we talk all the time to our guys about when you get knocked down to get back up.
None of this (media attention or criticism) is too far from what we talk about with these guys.
Hill said there has been dialogue with community officials, San Francisco police officers and Kaepernick himself about meetings in the future.
During the national anthem, Kaepernick knelt and the Knights were outstretched on their backs with their hands raised.
Castlemont assistant Ben Arnold told Branch: “I told Colin last night and thanked him for giving these students the platform to speak, and to protest and to change their community.”
Hill said he has been approached by military groups for possible meetings, but politely abstained, reiterating Kaepernick’s message that the protest isn’t directed in any way toward the military.
“Our players aren’t anti-American or antimilitary,” Hill said.
Everything could possibly start with them.
Mitch Stephens is a senior writer for MaxPreps.com.
Chronicle football top 25
School
De La Salle
Monte Vista
Antioch
Freedom
Cardinal Newman
Marin Catholic
Foothill
NR
Heritage
NR
NR
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Greg Hill left Washington, D.C. for San Francisco two years ago to help shape young lives.
The first-year Mission football head coach has found himself in the middle of a national debate and the center of media attention after his team collectively took a knee during the national anthem of a Sept. 10 game at Redwood-Larkspur.
The Chronicle reported the team’s sign of unity five days later and the following morning, the day of the Bears’ nonleague game at San Mateo, Hill was swarmed by reporters.
“I did four or five television interviews, then got on the team bus that afternoon,” said Hill, a professional physical trainer.
Beat.
Besides local television reports, Time magazine, the New York Times and USA Today have come calling about the Bears backing Colin Kaepernick’s stand on what Hill said Monday is simply “a nonviolent protest of innocent people getting killed.”
A USA Today reporter staffed the team’s 45-6 win at previously unbeaten Mills-Millbrae on Saturday.
“Man, did that feel good,” Hill said.
Every one of our games have been winnable.
Hill, 41, is from Long Island, N.Y. He said he played collegiately at Long Island University Post and some arena football before becoming an assistant coach at lower levels, including Eastern High in Washington.
When Albano surprisingly left late in June to take a job in Oregon, Hill, working with the kids in the weight room, “just took the lead role.”
The idea for the racially mixed team to kneel at Redwood was started by Harris on the team bus.
Hill didn’t expect all but one on the 35-man roster to follow suit.
Hill wasn’t one of them, yet said, “I stand proudly for them and their decision.”
Hill said all the attention hasn’t been a big distraction for the team or a reason for its slow start.
“Life is throwing a lot of life at us,” he said.
[...] we talk all the time to our guys about when you get knocked down to get back up.
None of this (media attention or criticism) is too far from what we talk about with these guys.
Hill said there has been dialogue with community officials, San Francisco police officers and Kaepernick himself about meetings in the future.
During the national anthem, Kaepernick knelt and the Knights were outstretched on their backs with their hands raised.
Castlemont assistant Ben Arnold told Branch: “I told Colin last night and thanked him for giving these students the platform to speak, and to protest and to change their community.”
Hill said he has been approached by military groups for possible meetings, but politely abstained, reiterating Kaepernick’s message that the protest isn’t directed in any way toward the military.
“Our players aren’t anti-American or antimilitary,” Hill said.
Everything could possibly start with them.
Mitch Stephens is a senior writer for MaxPreps.com.
Chronicle football top 25
School
De La Salle
Monte Vista
Antioch
Freedom
Cardinal Newman
Marin Catholic
Foothill
NR
Heritage
NR
NR
More...