COLUMN: What Would Tim Hiller Being Drafted in the 1st Round Do For WMU's Future?

by Dan Cash
Bronco Sports First

There is certainly a long way to go before the above title has a chance at reality. A lot of big games to win, a lot of touchdowns to throw and reads to make. But after Tim Hiller was named to the Davey O'Brien watch list, an award given to the nation's best overall quarterback things are beginning to change.

At 6-foot 5 inches tall and a mere 24 touchdown passes away from tying Chad Pennington's Mid-American Conference record Hiller is poised to wow the NFL scouts during the 2009 season. As long as he remains healthy the accolades and wins are certain to come, but how can Hiller change the way the nation looks at Western Michigan?

In Kalamazoo we see Hiller week in and week out. Kalamazoo knows just how good Hiller and the Bronco program has become. But the program takes another step if Hiller finds himself selected in the 1st round of the 2009 NFL entry draft.

It was one thing for Jason Babin to be selected in the 1st round or Greg Jennings, Tony Scheffler or Louis Delmas to be taken in the 2nd round, but it's an entirely different category when a quarterback is taken in the 1st round.

To select Hiller in the 1st round a team would be showing absolute confidence not only in Hiller's abilities but also in the program from which he came. That type of confidence in a player and a program can easily make it's way to top recruits and high school players wanting to make a run at the NFL.

15-years-ago high school prospects had to go to Michigan, Michigan State or another BCS school. If prospects see Tim Hiller's name on the list of 1st round picks...it changes everything. No longer will Bill Cubit need to convince anyone that they can have an NFL career at WMU.

All he has to do is point to Tim Hiller's jersey on the wall and the argument is done. There is a long way to go and a lot of things can go wrong, but a special season by Hiller could change the perception of a lot of things, including the future of WMU's program.

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