Northwestern QB Ryan Hilinski Wages a Bigger Battle Off the Field
The Sports Bank
Northwestern junior quarterback Ryan Hilinski takes the memory of his brother Tyler Hilinksi, who took his own life in early 2018, with him on the field, and everywhere else that he goes. “I’ve got this tattoo on my wrist at the lighthouse in Hawaii where I spread Tyler’s ashes with my family,” Hilinski said at 2021 Northwestern Media Day.
“I’ve got a tattoo of a three out here on my ribs. So physically I carry him on my body. And whenever I look myself in the mirror when I remember him, I see those symbols, and going on to that field, you
know, I say all right let’s rock.” This year, he’ll be sporting Tyler’s jersey number as well, having made the switch from #12 to #3.
“(Wearing the #3) gives me that extra motivation, that extra push to keep going,” Hilinski said at a preseason media availability.
“I feel like when I’m wearing 3, I’m wearing Tyler on my jersey with me… It gives me that extra motivation to keep going and never quit.”
Hilinkski was thrust into the starting role at South Carolina in 2019. but transferred to NU ahead of 2021. Last preseason, he was beaten out by Hunter Johnson for the QB1 role, but eventually found himself the starter for five games.
His numbers (5.6 YPA, 35.6 QBR, more interceptions than touchdown passes) were poor, but then again, so was the entire offense.
He did lead the team in passing yards though with 978, for what it is worth.
He’s listed as an “OR” on the depth chart again this summer, with competition for the starting quarterback job supposedly wide open.
Hilinski, given his talent, experience and skill set, should win the gig hands down this summer. He definitely deserves to be taking the snaps when NU opens the season in week zero against Nebraska in Dublin, Ohio. It’s a game that had to be rescheduled a couple times, due to the covid-19 pandemic.
“The difference from last year to this year is this is the first year I have two years of an offense under my belt,” Hilinski said.
“That’s the biggest thing for me, the confidence in myself, confidence in learning the playbook and of course confidence in the guys around me.”
Beyond football, however, Ryan and the rest of the Hilinski family are into something that greatly transcends the gridiron.
They all honor Tyler’s memory by running and promoting Hilinski’s Hope, a non-profit foundation focused on awareness for mental health issues.
Hilinski’s Hope states their mission as “to educate, advocate, and eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness, while funding programs that provide student-athletes with the tools and resources that support their mental health and wellness.”
Hilinski believes his organization is indeed making good progress towards eliminating the stigma against mental illness.
“I absolutely do,” he responded to a question in the topic.
“I think the world is going in a better place. And I think the more and more athletes talk about it, the more and more people will understand what we go through on a day to day basis.”
“I mean we’re here from six in the morning till nine at night, and sometimes guys, whether it’s second or third string, it affects them mentally sometimes and we like to talk about it.
“So I think people are just realizing what we go through on a day to day basis.
Northwestern might also get some extra motivation here in that the bookmakers don’t think much of their conference championship prospects. If you look at the Big Ten title odds, you’ll see NU (who won the Big Ten West last year) way on down the list.
Of course, after all the adversity that Hilinski has been through, with the loss of his brother, and all the larger issues that surround this traumatic experience, talking about depth charts and QBRs all all seems very small by comparison.
No matter how he performs this season statistically, the cause that Ryan Hilinski fights for has already made him a true champion.
