While a laundry list of household names will suit up for the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in Super Bowl LVI, it’s often a lesser-known player, particularly on defense, who steps up and makes a game-changing play on the biggest stage.
This year, that player might well be former undrafted free agent Mike Hilton, who has perhaps the toughest job of all.
The Bengals made Hilton one of the highest-paid slot cornerbacks in the league when they signed him last offseason to a four-year, $24 million contract. Now Hilton will face off with Rams star Cooper Kupp, the Offensive Player of the Year who led the NFL in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in 2021.
Hilton recognizes the gravity of it all.
“You definitely want to lock in and focus on the task at hand,” he told reporters Friday. “But you’ve also got to embrace this moment. Not a lot of people have the opportunity to get this far in their careers. Knowing where I came from and how I got here, I enjoy every moment.”
A 5-foot-9 corner who came out of Ole Miss in 2016, Hilton was not invited to the Scouting Combine and went undrafted. He spent training camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars but missed the final cut, and only lasted a week on the New England Patriots’ practice squad.
But before the end of the year, he caught on with the Pittsburgh Steelers and earned the nickelback job the following season. In four full seasons with Pittsburgh, he grabbed seven interceptions, 9.5 sacks, five fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.
When the Steelers let him walk after the 2020 season, he found a new home in the AFC North.
Hilton hasn’t been in Cincinnati very long, but he understands what the team’s 10-7 season, division title and run to the Super Bowl has meant.
“Just knowing where this organization’s been, how they haven’t had many successful seasons recently,” Hilton said. “Me coming over and being a big part of the turnaround, and being a leader, I’m really excited about it and looking forward to the opportunity.”
As for covering Kupp, it’s a tall task for any player. Betting markets have Kupp as the third favorite to win Super Bowl MVP. He already has 25 catches and four touchdowns this postseason; the Kupp-Hilton duel could go a long way to deciding how the game pans out.
“One aspect I personally don’t think he gets enough credit is the run after catch,” Hilton said. “He’s a hard tackle once he gets the ball in his hands. He’s explosive once he gets rolling.”
Hilton’s teammates believe he’s the man for the job, especially after he successfully kept Hunter Renfrow in check late in the game when the Bengals beat the Las Vegas Raiders in the wild-card round. This postseason alone, Hilton has one pick and four pass breakups.
Hilton “is like another coach on the field,” Bengals safety Vonn Bell told reporters this week. “He has a natural feel for the game and that’s huge. He’s a natural playmaker. He just has that instinct.”
–Field Level Media