Justin Hilliard

Justin Hilliard (born March 25, 1997) is an American professional football linebacker. He played college football at Ohio State and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco 49ers after the 2021 NFL draft.

Justin Hilliard

Personal information
Born:	(1997-03-25) March 25, 1997 (age 27) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	231 lb (105 kg)
Career information
High school:	St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio)
College:	Ohio State
Position:	Linebacker
Undrafted:	2021
Career history
San Francisco 49ers (2021)* New York Giants (2021) Kansas City Chiefs (2022)*
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 2 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life and college

Hilliard graduated from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati in 2015.^[1]

Hilliard was ranked as a five–star recruit and one of the best linebackers in the 2015 class by 247Sports.com coming out of high school.^[2] He committed to Ohio State on July 2, 2014.^[3] He requested and was approved for a sixth year of eligibility before the 2020 season.^[4]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press
6 ft 0+1⁄2 in (1.84 m)	229 lb (104 kg)	31+3⁄8 in (0.80 m)	8+7⁄8 in (0.23 m)	4.81 s	1.68 s	2.80 s	4.39 s	7.21 s	34.5 in (0.88 m)	9 ft 8 in (2.95 m)	27 reps
All values from Pro Day[5][6][7]

San Francisco 49ers

Hilliard was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco 49ers on May 13, 2021.^[8] He was waived on August 31, 2021.^[9][10]

New York Giants

On September 1, 2021, Hilliard was claimed off waivers by the New York Giants.^[11] He was placed on injured reserve on October 15, 2021.

On June 17, 2022, Hilliard was suspended for the first two games of the 2022 regular season for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.^[12] On July 28, 2022, Hilliard was waived.^[13]

Kansas City Chiefs

On December 28, 2022, Hilliard was signed to the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad.^[14] Hilliard was waived by the Chiefs on January 6, 2023, after Matthew Wright was signed to the practice squad.^[15]

References

1. Dyer, Mike (January 7, 2021). "High School Insider: Ohio State linebacker Justin Hilliard discusses national championship opportunity". Cincinnati: WCPO-TV. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
2. "Justin Hilliard Recruiting Profile". 247Sports.com.
3. "Justin Hilliard 247". 247Sports.com.
4. Kurelic, Bill. "Justin Hilliard gets 6th year at Ohio State approved by NCAA". Bucknuts.
5. "Justin Hilliard Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
6. "2021 Draft Scout Justin Hilliard, Ohio State NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
7. "Justin Hilliard 2021 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
8. "49ers Sign 10 Rookies". 49ers.com. May 13, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
9. "49ers Announce Initial 53-Man Roster Ahead of NFL Deadline". 49ers.com. August 31, 2021.
10. Holbrook, Spencer (May 2021). "Justin Hilliard heading to San Francisco on undrafted contract". Lettermen Row. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021.
11. Eisen, Michael (September 1, 2021). "Giants claim WR Collin Johnson, LB Quincy Roche, LB Justin Hilliard". Giants.com.
12. "Justin Hilliard suspended two games by the NFL". Giants.com. June 17, 2022.
13. Pflum, Chris (July 28, 2022). "Roster moves: Giants sign LB Austin Calitro, waive Justin Hilliard". bigblueview.com.
14. "Chiefs sign LB Justin Hilliard to practice squad". Chiefs Wire. USA Today. December 28, 2022.
15. "Chiefs elevate Ihmir Smith-Marietta, Matthew Wright for Saturday's game". profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2023.