Who is Hillcrest Quarterback Bryson Kimbrough

Notable Alumni

The Hillcrest High School Patriots of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, have produced some great talent throughout the years, and senior quarterback, Bryson Kimbrough is no exception to gaining the spotlight. Well-known names from Hillcrest are Brian Robinson Jr., former running back for the University of Alabama and current running back for the Washington Commanders. Tim Anderson Jr. is a professional baseball player, currently with the Miami Marlins. A recent notable alumnus, Ethan Crawford who graduated class of 2023, plays quarterback for Southern Miss (Hattiesburg, MS). Kimbrough looks like he will be added to that list soon, as he prepares for the 2024 season. 

The Unexpected...

Hillcrest has had some incredible seasons since the hiring of head coach, Jamie Mitchell, in 6A football shutting out over half of their opponents before the end of the half. Things were going in the right direction for this Hillcrest team putting up a perfect 10-0 record entering the AHSAA play-offs. Unfortunately, Hillcrest's starting quarterback, Ethan Crawford injured his leg in the last game of the 2022 season during the second half against Mcadory.

Next Man Up

Losing your starting quarterback is always a challenge. The playoffs are on the line, and you have to wonder, ''who is the next man up?'' Jamie Mitchell seems to have had a secret weapon in his sophomore quarterback, Bryson Kimbrough. Kimbrough stepped up in a time of need and led the Patriots to a 38-0 win over Calera in the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, falling to Saraland in the second round of the AHSAA playoffs, Bryson Kimbrough will enter the offseason as Hillcrest's quarterback for the next two years.

Who is Bryson Kimbrough?

A perfect 10-0 record, 7-0 in 6A Region 4 last year. Two playoff wins before unfortunately falling short in the 3rd round of the AHSAA playoffs to Ryan Williams, a freshman receiver for the Crimson Tide and former player for the Saraland Spartans, who beat them in the second round the year before. Bryson Kimbrough looks to finish his senior season with Hillcrest High School on a high note. In an interview Kimbrough allowed me to have with him, we looked at Kimbrough and his thought process.

(see below for the transcribed interview)

The Interview

Cai: How are you Mr. Kimbrough, thank you for interviewing with me.

Kimbrough: Very welcome, thank you for reaching out!

Cai: "So tell me, how do you feel about the season?"

Kimbrough: I feel good, we have a lot of young guys, but I believe they will make an impact this year.

Cai: What do you mean by young? Give me an example.

Kimbrough: The guys who will be put in a position to make plays now haven't been put in that position. They were making plays in games that were already decided, they weren't really in the fire for real but now they're getting thrown in.

Cai: Okay, I can understand that. Are you worried about how they will respond in those situations? Will they perform to the standard?

Kimbrough: No, I think they'll respond well.

Cai: It's good to see that confidence. So, you're a senior, starting quarterback. Have you committed?

Kimbrough: Yes, I did.

Cai: Cool, where did you commit if I may ask?

Kimbrough: I committed to the University of Louisiana-Monroe back in June.

Cai: Congratulations! Tell me, what is it that made you come to that decision?

Kimbrough: Um...It felt like home. They made it easy with a lot of their staff being from Alabama. They made it easy. I believe in what they're doing, I believe in the people that work there, good relationships down there so that's how I decided to commit to ULM.

Cai: You think it will be a big challenge transitioning to college ball?

Kimbrough: I think it will be some downside, but nothing I can't handle of course!

Cai: I love the positivity! Tell me a little about yourself.

Kimbrough: Let's see, this will be...my second and a half year starting. I came in as a starter in my sophomore year when our starter, who is at Southern Miss now, went down and tore his ACL. He was my kind of mentor going up into it. I took over when he got hurt and I took over ever since.

Kimbrough: I'm real big on knowledge of the game, understanding what's supposed to happen and what's going on. I like to think I'm the smartest player on the field at all times. No matter who we are playing, no matter the athletes, I want to know what is going to happen, and how to fix everything.

Cai: So, you're moving up to 7A, how do you think you will play against the caliber of teams like Hoover and Thompson?

Kimbrough: I feel like we got to take it one game at a time. We can't let the new classification consume us. It's all different now. You know, football is football at the end of the day. Still got to play 12-minute quarters, 100 yards long. We will have to play a lot more full games this year compared to how we have in previous years. We've always played top-end teams since coach Mitchell has been here so it's not much change in competition, more so consistent competition.

Cai: You speak a lot of Coach Mitchell. How do you feel about having him as a head coach?

Kimbrough: Coach Mitchell is as hard as it gets but as loving as it gets. He knows football like no other, he has been around the game forever. Between him and our offensive coordinator Greg Guy, you get the best of both worlds as far as coaching. Coach Mitchell is more old school under center, while Coach Guy is more of our spread guy so it's the best of both.

(See more of this interview at a later date)

After The Interview

An incredible 15-minute interview with Bryson Kimbrough. Hillcrest has a top-of-the-line facility and locker room, and it is easy to see how much Coach Mitchell puts them to use in getting his team and this quarterback ready during the off-season. School starts back for Tuscaloosa County Schools on Thursday, August 8, 2024. The Hillcrest Patriots will play their first game on August 23, 2024, at home against the Florence Falcons. We look forward to keeping up with Hillcrest this season.

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