Short Hill Stands Tall : Colorado State Quarterback Anthoney Hill May Lack Size for Pro Game, but He Has Given the Rams a Lift With His Versatility and Will to Win

So this is fame in Ft. Collins, Colo. A few months ago, quarterback Anthoney Hill and defensive tackle Steve Hodge accepted an invitation to don their football jerseys for a big promotion in town.

The players expected thousands to line the banks of the Pouder River to watch them launch a rubber duck race. When they got there, though, it was only them and promoters from a local radio station.

“I didn’t know we were doing it for radio,” Hill recalled.

But he did his part by throwing about 3,300 ducks into the river.

Anything to hype Colorado State’s football team, which will play No. 20 Michigan in the Thrifty Car Rental Holiday Bowl at 6 p.m. Friday at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

Hill, a fifth-year senior, is not about to let the team down, even if it means participating in goofy radio shtick.

That is the way it has been for Hill, who emerged as one of the Western Athletic Conference’s big surprises of 1994. In a conference that often boasts of the nation’s best passers, Hill has excelled with a versatile game equal parts running and passing.

Whatever it takes to win.

Hill was recruited in 1989 by then-coach Earl Bruce as a sprint-out/option quarterback. From Pop Warner competition to his successful career at San Diego University City High, Hill was known more for his leg speed than his arm strength.

San Diego State wanted him to stay home as a defensive back. But Hill wanted to play quarterback, so he accepted a scholarship to Colorado State.

Then two years ago, Bruce left amid controversy, and Colorado State’s football program was overhauled. Sonny Lubick was hired from the University of Miami and he installed a pro-style offense.

Hill had never been a drop-back passer.

“He probably didn’t fit the mold,” said Steve Fairchild, the Rams’ quarterback coach. “But he does have a decent arm.”

After starting slowly in 1993 because of the transition and injuries to receivers, Colorado State finished 5-6 by winning its last three games.

Although Hill has won 13 of his last 14 games and has led the 10th-ranked Rams to a 10-1 record this season, he lacks NFL potential. Playing in near anonymity in eastern Colorado has not helped.

“He could be a heck of an athlete but nobody knows that much about him,” said one NFL scouting director.

But the experts are mostly concerned about size. Hill is listed as 5 feet 11 1/8, which leaves him short of NFL interest.

“Now what’s the difference between 5-11 1/8 and 6-0 1/8, I don’t know,” the scout said. “You tell me. But as soon as that magic thing goes off in a lot of coaches’ heads that he’s under six feet, then . . . “

Hill rates himself as one of the country’s top 10 senior quarterbacks, but realizes the obstacles of becoming a pro. Yet he has heard the doubts before and remains undaunted.

“I sure hope I get one more chance to prove people wrong,” he said. “Quarterback is the only position I’ve ever played. I’m a quarterback. I’ve been one since I was 8.”

This season, Hill has completed 154 of 290 passes for 2,552 yards with 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 157 yards and five touchdowns in 97 carries.

He has not had the flashy numbers that draw attention to WAC quarterbacks. But Hill has been a presence on the field.

Despite injuries to veteran receivers and the inexperience of the freshmen wideouts, Hill never complained.

“In two years he never once made an excuse or pointed a finger at anybody,” said Fairchild, who also was a San Diego quarterback who played at Ft. Collins. “He just plays.”

Hill said the transition between offensive styles was not as difficult as others make it out to be. In fact, he considered it a blessing when the new coaching staff arrived.

“I felt like I could run any offense that they wanted,” Hill said. “Every quarterback wants to throw the ball. I wish I could throw it 60 times a game.”

But he scares defenses with his versatility.

“This quarterback is so elusive,” said Ty Law, Michigan’s cornerback. “He’s the type of quarterback that gives a lot of defenses trouble with his running and passing. Those are the guys you get a little bit nervous about it.”

Two years ago, Hill had the feeling Colorado State was on the verge of something big. When San Diego University City receiver Paul Turner visited on a recruiting trip, Hill told him the truth about the Rams.

“I told him, ‘It’s not San Diego, it’s not Notre Dame,’ ” Hill said. “It’s not one of your top-ranked programs. But I told him we’re going to win.

“We can’t hide behind anything here. We don’t have the great facilities. We’re not the flashiest team, but we will win because we believe we will.”

With so much determination, who could doubt him?