Lions quickly bring back Wildwood’s Hills

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

The fringes of NFL rosters are always full of moving parts.

Wildwood High School graduate Wes Hills experienced that this week.

After being released by the Detroit Lions’ practice squad over the weekend, the 6-2, 205-pound running back was re-signed by the team and was again assigned to the practice squad late Tuesday evening, according to a source.

The move no doubt was necessitated by an injury to Lions running back Kerryon Johnson, whom the Lions placed on injured reserve earlier on Tuesday.

Hills had been released by the Lions on Saturday when the Lions signed four-year veteran running back Paul Perkins to the practice squad, according to NFLTradeRumors.com.

Hills, 24, had signed with the Lions after after being released with an injury settlement by the Arizona Cardinals out of training camp. Hills led the Cardinals in rushing with 63 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries during the preseason but did not see much action after the first exhibition game. He also caught two passes for 18 yards.

Hills played football last season at Division II Slippery Rock, where he rushed for a program-record 1,714 yards and scored 17 touchdowns even though he missed two full games and most of another due to a shoulder injury. He went on to earn MVP honors at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl at the Rose Bowl in mid January after rushing for 79 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. He then played in the Senior Bowl the following week in Mobile, Ala.

Hills landed at Slippery Rock after leaving Delaware, where he played for three seasons.

A 2013 graduate of Wildwood, Hills set Cape May County records with 2,107 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior during the 2012 season.