Many seniors will graduate, but few have had to overcome what Hill has. Hill has been benched, told to wait his turn, told he was too short and in the final act of his career he emerged as one of the most reliable second options in the big Ten.

"Coming into this year, I've been getting a lot of playing time, a lot of reps," he said. "My mentality is that everything happens for a reason, there's a reason that everything has happened in my career.

Hill has rushed the ball 88 times this season for 537 yards and seven touchdowns. He has proven that he is a reliable backup to fellow senior Jeremy Langford.

Over the years Hill has seen some time on the bench as well. The 5'8 back from Chelsea, MI struggled early with consistency in his career, but said he has no malice in his heart and though throughout his time in East Lansing that he was treated fairly.

"What happened in my career happened," he said. "I wouldn't have it any other way. It made a better man, a better person. it's easy when everything is smooth and everything is going your way, when you're a starter for x amount of years but when adversity hits you, and it hits everyone eventually, I've been going through it my entire career and it's made me a better person."

The emotion of senior day hits everyone differently, but Hill said if there is one guy to watch out for in the senior class that could get emotional, no one needs to look further than number 20.

"It might be me," he joked. "I'm not a real emotional guy, but going out there, it won't as much be seeing my mother, it's more my father because he's been with me for the whole entire process of playing little league up until now. I know he's going to tear up."

Hill said he has taken a few moments to sit back and think about what being a Spartan running back has meant to him and what running out of that tunnel for the final time will be like.

"About halfway through the season (I thought about it)," he said. "You get caught up trying to prepare for each and every game, but when November hit and I thought that I only have four games left, as the season comes to the end you start feeling it more and more."

Hill is the veteran of a few senior days, and he said that has prepared a mental image in his head of what his ceremony will be like.

"I have let my mind wander a couple of times," he said. "It's hard because you've done it so many times in your mind, but I'll try to soak it up, definitely."