College Football

Western Michigan QB Tim Hiller: A leader in more than 1 Huddle

Tim Hiller could easily be described as “driven.” In fact, that might be a bit of an understatement. The redshirt-junior quarterback for Western Michigan University completed his degree in sales and business marketing in just three years –- and not to mention with a 4.0 grade point average. He’s now working on his MBA at WMU.

After struggling a bit last season in his first action since severely injuring his right knee as a true freshman, Hiller is among the top 10 in the nation this season in several passing categories, and he’s led the Broncos to a 9-2 record with a shot at the Mid-American Conference title (if they beat Ball State tonight on ESPN2). He’s seventh in the NCAA in passing yards, fourth in completions per game, and he’s thrown 33 touchdowns to just six interceptions.

All this while keeping his priorities in line.

Hiller co-founded and now co-leads (with his girlfriend, Michelle DeNooyer, a Bronco women’s basketball player) the FCA Huddle on Western Michigan’s campus. He says his faith in Christ has helped him overcome obstacles during his college career and gives him a sense of purpose on the football field. But that’s not all –- ultimately, Hiller wants to be used by God, whether that’s as an NFL player or not.

Q: How did you start the FCA Huddle at Western Michigan?
A: “Back in high school I had a real active FCA, and when I came to Western [Michigan], there was no FCA group on campus. We kind of had a little Bible study within our team, but we didn’t have anything that all sports could meet across. Michelle had been working at an FCA camp at Albion College up here in Michigan, which is about 45 minutes from Kalamazoo. They were looking for some people to help with football and asked if I’d be interested, and I said, ‘Yeah, I’d love to.’

“I went and worked that FCA Camp and had an unbelievable experience as a Huddle leader. At that camp I met several people on the board of FCA here in southwest Michigan, and through those experiences I learned what I needed to do to start a Huddle. So, Michelle and I started a Huddle together with the fall of 2007 with the help of Rock Campbell, who is our area director here in southwest Michigan.”

Q: How are things going with the Huddle now?
A: “It’s going great. We get about 35 students each week. We’ve had as many as 80 come when we had an event. We meet once a week, on a weeknight, and do a lot of different things. We have music pretty frequently because we have a couple people in our Huddle who can play music. We have various speakers come in, including a couple former NFL players, and we do a lot of student testimonies and a Bible study in the summer. So we’ve had a tremendously active FCA, and it’s been great to see the work it’s done on campus.”

Q: How many players on the football team are coming to the Huddle?
A: “Oh, wow –- probably consistently about 15 or 20 guys. And there are about three of them that are on our leadership team that come and help us organize meetings, set up and plan different things.”

Q: How have you seen it impact the fellowship you have within your team?
A: “It’s been tremendous because I think people never really realize how other athletes, whether it’s their teammates or athletes on other teams, are going through the exact same things that they are. Being a Division I athlete is hard, and there are a lot of pressures on your time. There are a lot of outside temptations of this world that Jesus doesn’t want us to give into. To know that other people are going through that with you and to be able to fellowship with them is huge. And just to know that other people are praying for you and that you can be praying for other people. So, I think there’s just a better sense of community, and now I have guys on the team who come to FCA who will come to me and say, ‘Hey, can you pray for this? Can you pray for that?’ It’s neat to see that sense of community on a team.”

Q: How has FCA helped you become the mature Christian you are today?
A: “I got plugged in with FCA my freshman year of high school, and I think it’s been extremely critical in the development of my faith walk and understanding that, as an athlete, I’ve been given a tremendous platform by God to use as a witness. I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned through FCA. Whether it’s right or wrong, society is going to listen to what I have to say just because I’m the quarterback at Western Michigan University. That’s not necessarily right, but that’s reality.

“So, if you’re using that to be a good witness for Jesus Christ, if you’re using that as a witness or as a platform to say the right things and to be a be a good role model, then you can have a powerful impact, even more so than an average person just because you’re an athlete. So I realize every day that I have a tremendous responsibility and I can use my influence in a positive way.”

Q: After playing for most of your true freshman season in 2005, you suffered a very serious knee injury and had to redshirt in 2006. What kind of a challenge was that?
A: “I think that was kind of a defining moment in my faith walk. I tore my ACL, MCL and PCL in my right knee and underwent about a 3 1/2 hour procedure and eight or nine months of hard rehab, and I had to redshirt. That was a time where, at first, I questioned a lot of things. I questioned my faith walk with God, I questioned if I wanted to play anymore, and it was during that time I really started learning I needed to be in God’s Word all the time.

“Those were some dark days, and it was hard, and I realized that a lot of times football had become number one in my life. I think it really was something that put everything in perspective. I love the verses of Romans 5:3-5, talking about rejoicing in suffering and how suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. Just following that process of knowing if I just keep fighting this and stay in the Word and stay prayerful –- keep Christ first in my life where He needs to be –- then everything else will fall into place. It was a hard time, but it’s made me a better player, it’s made me a better person, and it’s helped my faith tremendously.”

Q: After struggling a little bit in your first season back, you and the Broncos are having quite a season this year. What’s been the main difference?
A: “I feel like I have a new sense of calmness about me and a new sense of confidence. I think part of it is just the experiences I’ve had. I’ve played in a lot of games now. I’m very comfortable running our offense, and my coach has put full confidence in me. But I think another part of it is just a sense of Christian maturity. I think it’s just going out there and knowing that there’s going to be hard times in this game, but nothing really shakes me or fazes me anymore. It’s one of those things where if we win or lose or whatever happens, it’s part of a bigger plan that God has, and I just have to trust in that. Without a doubt, it’s definitely been a big contributor to why I’ve been able to play better.”

Q: What are your plans for the future? Are you getting any interest from the NFL?
A: “Well, I’ve gotten some interest, but I still have another year to play. Next year will be my fifth year, so I’m going to come back next year, and we’ve got a lot coming back so we could have a great year next year. That’s really my focus now is to just finish out the season, come back, work hard, hopefully have another great year next year, and we’ll see what happens. It’s one of those things where if that’s what God has in store, then that’s great, and I’d love to keep playing football. But if not, then I understand that He can use me in other ways, whether it’s in the business world or coaching or ministry. Whatever He has planned, I want to do that.”

Tags: Broncos, FCA, Huddle, Michelle DeNooyer, Rock Campbell, Tim Hiller, Western Michigan University Football