Welcome to #TIGERTALK – a SweetwaterNOW exclusive series where Rock Springs High School Tigers inspire our community by telling their stories in their own words.
Hi, my name is Andre Hilton. I am 17 and a senior who goes to Rock Springs High School. I play football and basketball, I have been playing both of these sports since I was in fourth grade and have loved every bit of these sports since I have found them.
I have always had a love for football since I was young even if it was watching it or playing it I was always entertained by the energetic game. When I was first able to talk there was always a conversation that I was going to play football. My family, which is really into sports and really competitive, encouraged me to play football. Ever since my first little game and practice, I knew that I was going to play this sport as much as I could.
My great-grandpa Issac Johnson and other family members inspired me because of how good they did when they played football and other sports when they were younger or in high school. With this, I never wanted to disappoint them and that is part of the reason why I continue to play this game. But that did not take my love away from the game it made it stronger.
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I took football very seriously throughout my life and high school.
In Little League, I made all-stars which was a realization that I could go far in this sport. Our all-star team ended up going undefeated in the War Memorial Stadium. The next years in junior high were a little rough because my weight changed and so did my position. It took me a little bit to get used to the wide receiver spot but I knew that my position would be a defensive back.
I always play physical in my sports and give it my all every rep. From freshman year to junior year, I didn’t get as many reps because of things like COVID and the coaching staff getting completely switched. My class that has stayed throughout my senior year has had very big downs and very big ups.
My senior year when Kep came he saw that I had really good potential and that’s when I knew it was my time to finally shine at the varsity spot. After a long summer, I knew that I was in the right spot to make a name for myself on the team and in this town. With amazing teammates and coaches on my side, I was able to have an outstanding first game. Our defense had been doing really good and if it wasn’t for my teammates I wouldn’t have finished the season in the top 15 defenders in the state.
Football showed me to never give up and to do everything to the fullest. Football taught me that in life you have to make sacrifices for the good. My first football coach Mark Lenhardt showed me that football prepares me for real life showing that when things get tuff you have to overcome those things. Football will always have a big spot in my heart and I will continue to love the game.
Basketball has always been a part of my life and I will always have a love for it. No matter if it was playing in the front with my cousin or going to the rec center for hours on end. The culture that comes with basketball is huge and will never die down. That is a major reason why basketball has had a big impact on my life.
My love for basketball started when my uncle took me to a Jazz vs Lakers game. The teammates that come with basketball really pushed me to be the best I can be. With the amount of talent that I have to compete with it only makes me want to do better. The biggest thing that I have learned from basketball is teamwork and appreciation for the guys that you have.
These two sports have had probably the biggest impact on my life besides my parents. If I didn’t have these I don’t know where I would be in life. Football and basketball helped with distracting low points in my life when I was feeling low. It allowed me to clear my mind of any negative going on in my life and also motivated me to keep my grades up as well. Once these sports end it will be sad but the bigger picture is that it helped me and will benefit me for the rest of my life.
