As he walked through the Browns' training facility at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus, Elbert Hill IV – a five-star junior cornerback out of Archbishop Hoban – imagined what it would be like to be in the NFL.
After making his way into the field house, he was greeted by WR James Proche II and CB Tony Brown II, who delivered a surprise announcement.
Hill was selected to represent the Browns as part of Nike's 'Next Ones' program. During the week of the Super Bowl LIX, Hill will have the chance to experience behind-the-scenes action and compete in a skills challenge against 31 other top players from across the country and one international athlete selected for the program.
"It was a big surprise for me knowing that the city that I grew up in chose me to go down to an event for them," Hill said. "It makes me really happy. I'm very pumped to be around the Super Bowl, I'm really happy about it."
Hill, a junior at Hoban, remembers watching football on television as a five-year-old and asking his dad if he could play. Since his first days on the football field, Hill's love for the game has only grown.
The young cornerback has turned his love for football into an accomplished high school career, one he is looking to continue pursuing at the collegiate level. Hill has a multitude of college offers to play football and is ranked as the top overall recruit in Ohio and the top cornerback in the class of 2026, according to On3.
In his junior season, Hill had four interceptions and three pass breakups. Although his primary position is cornerback, Hill scored five touchdowns on offense and two on special teams as he helped guide Archbishop Hoban to the Division II OHSAA state semifinals.
The year prior in 2023, Hill earned first-team All-State honors in Division II as a sophomore with seven interceptions – two of which he returned for touchdowns.
Through all of Hill's success on the field, his father, Elbert Hill III, has stood by proudly watching the work his son has put into his football career.
"I've seen him since he was five years old putting the work in and for him to make it this far is truly a blessing. I'm just a proud father," Elbert Hill III said. "It's a blessing just to see him be able to come to the facility and check out all the things the Browns do on a day-to-day basis and be chosen to represent the Browns and Cleveland down at the Super Bowl."
As one of the top talents in the class of 2026, Hill has high-reaching football aspirations. His tour of the Browns facility allowed him to envision what life could look like one day if he earns the opportunity to play in the NFL.
"I've never seen a pro facility before and especially in the place I grew up," Hill said. "I always picture myself in things and I love picturing myself in places like this that I actually I love doing."
During his visit to the Browns' facility, Hill spoke with both Proche and Brown, who each gave him advice on how to handle the challenges of being a collegiate athlete with goals of making it to the NFL.
Proche and Brown, who both stood in Hill's shoes earlier in their careers, encouraged Hill to take advantage of every opportunity that comes his way, and to soak in the experience at the Super Bowl.
"It's kind of crazy. These guys are already in the league, they're doing the thing that I want to do when I'm older," Hill said. "Just meeting them showed me how close I can get to where I want to be."
