Bisons’ star linebacker an overnight sensation three-years in the making

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This article was published 13/10/2022 (1436 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For three years — through a red-shirt season, a pandemic-cancelled campaign in 2020 and a return to the field in 2021 — Dolan Hills played the part of understudy.

The 21-year-old product of Red Deer, Alta., was paying his dues, soaking up knowledge from the veteran linebackers ahead of him on the University of Manitoba football team depth chart and honing an underappreciated skill as the Bisons backup long-snapper.

It was business as usual again this fall until the first series of Manitoba’s regular-season opener Sept. 9 in Edmonton against the Alberta Golden Bears when Manitoba’s weakside linebacker, Nick Thomas, suffered a torn ligament in his right foot. The injury turned out to be season ending.

Hills was rushed into the lineup, and he became an overnight sensation a mere three years in the making.

In four games, including three starts, he’s recorded 41 1/2 tackles, a sack, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery and is poised to crack the list of top-10 most productive seasons in program history.

Former Bisons great DJ Lalama established a single season school record of 72 1/2 tackles in 2016.

“I knew I was ready to go — I’ve been waiting since 2019,” Hills said Thursday, as the Bisons prepped for Saturday afternoon’s crucial Canada West matchup with the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver. “I thought in 2019 I might have a chance to dress or something and then last year on special teams I did well, so I felt like I was ready to go.”

In his first start against UBC on Sept. 16, he made 12 tackles in a 21-16 victory over the T-birds. On Sept. 24, Hills was named the nation’s (U Sports) defensive player of the week after recording nine tackles, a sack and an interception as the Bisons’ defence suffocated the Calgary Dinos in a 46-4 triumph.

The hits kept coming against the Saskatchewan Huskies on Sept. 30 when he accumulated 14 tackles, the third-highest total in team history, and not far behind Lalama’s single-game record of 17 from 2016.

Hills, playing in tandem with star middle linebacker Isaac Dokken, quickly erased any doubts about his ability to assume a starter’s role.

“You are more concerned I guess about, ‘Hey, are you going to be able to mentally deal with playing defence and nuances that come with it? Are you gonna be able to adjust with different formations, motion and the game plan?’” said Lalama, now Manitoba’s linebackers coach.

“It’s a little bit more of a chess match than special teams might be… So, I think that’s where you don’t know what you’re gonna get until you’re kind of thrust into that role. His athletic ability was never in question. It’s just that he’s done a tremendous job of pairing that with a tremendous ability to learn and learn quickly. And I think you’ve seen him excel because of that.”

Head coach Brian Dobie had a sinking feeling when he lost Thomas, one of the club’s biggest stars.

“It was a doomsday scenario,” said Dobie. “I mean, we lost Nick right off the hop in Edmonton and we learned essentially right away that he was he was in trouble. It wasn’t something he was gonna come back from in the second quarter… He’s a first-team all-Canadian linebacker and they don’t grow on trees.”

Hills’ sudden development into a potential pro prospect is something of a surprise. Coming out of Red Deer’s Hunting Hills High School, he received only two U Sports offers — albeit from Saskatchewan and Manitoba, two highly regarded programs — before picking the Fort Garry campus.

Justin Cooper, a Hunting Hills defensive line coach, urged Dobie to give Hills strong consideration.

“He was a tough kid out of Red Deer and I wouldn’t have even have known about him but Justin Cooper, who was on our Vanier Cup ‘07 team, couldn’t say enough good things about Dolan in terms of his football IQ and about how physically tough he was… So, we recruited him, but I mean there’s certain guys who are blue-chip guys and he wasn’t that guy. But suddenly here he is — he’s just carries his lunch bucket every day. He doesn’t miss a beat.”

Hills, who rotated as a backup at the weakside and middle linebacker spots prior to becoming a starter, has also become the squad’s regular long-snapper. His work in that department was sorely missed when a hand injury kept him out of a pre-season loss to Saskatchewan and a Week 1 defeat to the Regina Rams.

Thomas, in the midst of a six-month recovery following surgery to repair his foot, said he never doubted that Hills would do his homework.

“I knew that he was going to be the backup and that he was he was going to be good if he needed to get into the game,” said Thomas. “That showed up in meetings — he’s always taking notes. And he’s always listening to coach, trying to get better.”

Added Dobie: “Everybody’s got his back and everybody’s loves his kid. He’s so respected. He’s just this quiet guy. Always, you know, with a smile on his face and a great attitude.”

Hills credits the footwork he learned and contact he endured playing lacrosse for 13 years for a successful full-time transition to football. As a starter at U of M, the action on the field has begun to slow down and his ability to process information has improved.

“It’s just a matter of getting used to the game speed and everything — it’s just a lot faster than what I used to play,” said Hills. “It’s been getting better every game, (play is) just slowing down and I’m really understanding the game more.”

The 6-foot, 210-pounder said he owes his eye-popping stats to the defensive scheme.

“I just keep getting put in a great spot to make plays,” he said.

After a bye week, Hills and his teammates will need to be in top form to beat UBC.

The Thunderbirds, Bisons and Golden Bears are tied for third place in the conference with 2-3 records and three regular-season games remaining. Saskatchewan, at 5-0, and the 4-1 Regina Rams are best positioned to claim two of four available playoffs pots.

“I think we’re well-prepared,” said Hills. “Our game plan this week is really good and it puts us in a good spot to win.They run the ball a lot and they run a lot of motion so we’ve got to stop the run and not get confused by the motion.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14