What's in a nickname? Kenny Hill prefers 'Kenny Trill'
Kenny Hill's performance against South Carolina Saturday set off a furious effort to give the sophomore quarterback a nickname.
By
Jerry Hinnen
•
1 min read
Of course not! Hill's predecessor at Texas A&M enjoyed both a living-legendary career and answering to the most iconic college football nickname of the sport's past decade, so yes Hill needs a nickname, damn it, and he needs it now.
But Hill said Tuesday he wasn't interested in being known as "Kenny Football," and no one should blame him. (What was the last sequel as good as the original?) Per the Associated Press, Hill said of the many candidates proposed in the wake of his performance that he prefers "Kenny Trill."
"Trill," in this sense, of course, is the hip-hop hybrid of "true" and "real" popularized by Houston's own Bun B, so there's a local(ish) connection to go with the pun. The name spread so rapidly Tuesday Bun B himself weighed in:
Like the idea of "Kenny Trill" but I think @coachsumlin would agree one good game alone doesn't make you trill. He's on his way though!
— Bun B (@BunBTrillOG) September 2, 2014
Whatever Bun B's (likely temporary) objections, the name seems likely to stick, as documented here:
OC/QB coach Jake Spavital, when asked about Kenny Hill’s quick rise in popularity, just called him “Kenny Trill.”
— Sam Khan Jr. (@skhanjr) September 2, 2014
It still feels like too much, too soon, to this blogger. Not because Hill doesn't "deserve" a nickname yet -- no one should care about that -- but just because, again, nicknames either happen or they don't. To cite another Texas-centric example, Kevin Durant still doesn't have an actual nickname (unless you count "KD"), and that's perfectly OK.
"Kenny Trill" is fine, but what if something better just happens to come along a month from now? What then?!?
