Bengals RB Hill eager to respond after two down years

Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill said the last two years are not indicative of who he is and he’s eager to get back on the field.

“These last two seasons I’ve had, it’s not me, it’s no who I am as a player,” Hill said Monday on the first day of voluntary offseason workouts.

“I’ve got to respond,” he continued. “That’s what great players do. I consider myself a great player, so I’ve just go to respond.”

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After rushing for 1,124 yards and a 5.1 average as a rookie in 2014, Hill had 794 yards and a 3.6 average in 2015 and 839 yards with a 3.8 average last season.

Asked what wrong the last two seasons, Hill said he isn’t sure.

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“I’ve been searching for that answer myself,” he aid. “For me, it’s just getting that trust with the offensive line and really understanding what’s going on and just breaking more tackles and having more yards after contact. That’s something I can control. That’s something I want to really work on, something I have been working on, something I can’t show right now, but it’ll happen on Sundays.

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“I just really focused in on myself and getting my body in the best shape possible,” Hill added. “It’s probably the lightest I’ve ever been coming into OTAs. I’m feeling good. I’m excited for what’s coming ahead.”

Hill made headlines last week when he went on the NFL Network and said if the Bengals draft a running back at No. 9, "he'll be my backup."

“I’m not going to bite my tongue,” he said when asked about the comment Monday. “I’m a competitor, and that’s what I do. If you’re in this business and you don’t feel that way, you probably won’t last long. You’ve got to compete every day to keep your job. If a guy starts slacking off, they’ll find someone else to replace you.”

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