T.Y. Hilton’s son Eugene making a name for himself at Zionsville
ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — After 10 years with the Colts, T.Y. Hilton is a household name in the state of Indiana. Now, his son Eugene is becoming his own star for the Zionsville Eagles.
Son of the Colts former star receiver, Hilton is showing off already. He had nearly 600 yards in his sophomore season alone.
“My hope is to have a better career than he did, so I got to work hard,” Eugene said. “One of the things that put me on the map was my catching ability. I had a couple really good catches last year, so I feel like that helped me a lot.”
“Came home one day, and he’s just in the weight room working,” T.Y. said. “Kids nowadays, they just want to rest or do something else when they come home from a long day, and he’s just in there working.”
“He enjoys putting in time outside of the things that we do, and when you have that, that’s when you have the potential for something that can be really truly special,” said Scott Turnquist, head coach for the Zionsville Eagles.
As a 16-year-old, Hilton already has offers from nine different Power 5 programs. Of course, he has a famous last name, but Eugene is determined to be the new face of the Hilton football family legacy.
“I feel like I’ve gotten overshadowed a little bit, so I’m just trying to make a name for myself,” said Eugene. “I don’t really feel any pressure, because at the end of the day, it’s just been with me my whole life. At this point, it’s just you’re coming to the game to see him or me, and I don’t really care.”
“Like I told him, ‘When guys play against him, they’re going to think about me, so you’ve got to go out there, get from under my shadow, and make a name for yourself,’ and that’s what he’s been doing,” T.Y. said.
As Eugene’s athleticism grows, so does his relationship with his dad.
“I feel like we were already close, but this just makes us a little bit closer,” Eugene said. “He helps you on the technical things. He helps you understand your depth and all that stuff.”
“Hard work beats talent any day,” T.Y. said. “As long as you believe in yourself and truly put in the work, it’s going to show on Friday nights, and that’s what it’s been doing, so I’m proud of him.”
Another Hilton heading towards the NFL.