It became a weekly tradition, teacher honing his pupil’s craft in the sweltering Pennsylvania summer heat. 

Per NCAA rules, quarterback Perry Hills wasn’t permitted to practice with offensive coordinator Mike Locksley during the summer. But he had work to do, a starting spot to earn. So he went home. Every Friday, Hills drove four hours to Pittsburgh to work with his old quarterbacks coach from Central Catholic High School, Anthony Colaizzi.

After riding the bench for two years behind quarterback C.J. Brown, Hills finally had an opportunity. The Terps’ starting position was up for grabs, and Hills had a list of things he wanted to improve with Colaizzi. So they got to work.

Saturday, Hills will jog onto the field with the first team offense for the Terps’ season opener against Richmond. Teammates and coaches said Hills separated himself from redshirt junior Caleb Rowe and fifth-year transfer Daxx Garman. Hills gives the credit to Colaizzi. 

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him,” Hills said.

Hills has been here before. In 2012, he was named the starter toward the end of fall camp after Brown suffered a torn ACL, but threw eight touchdowns to seven interceptions before tearing his ACL. Now with the Terps’ season opener two days away, teammates have noticed a more confident, assertive Hills. 

“When he’s in there, you know he’s in there,” linebacker Jermaine Carter said of Hills. “He had the offense running and moving, and I think that’s one of the things that probably separated him. I don’t know what caught the coaches eye, but what caught my eye was when he was in there, you knew he was in there. Because he was like ‘you there, you get there,’ getting the offensive line to the ball.”

Hills said he felt overwhelmed three years ago when he was forced to learn the team’s playbook in two weeks. Things are different this time. He said he knows Locksley’s system like the back of his hand, and he’s more privy to the different blitzes and disguises opposing defenses will throw at him.

The redshirt junior points back to his summer sessions with Colaizzi for establishing his confidence.  

The duo knew Hills would need to improve his speed, agility and reaction time to beat out Rowe and Garman, so they ran through an array of drills. Hills ran ladders and the 40-yard-dash. Colaizzi would drop balls for Hills to catch. Plus, they simulated game situations for Hills to work on his accuracy and make reads.

But when the team convened in College Park for training camp in early August, Hills seemed like a long shot to win the starting job. When a reporter asked Brandon Ross about his interactions with Garman, the running back compared the transfer with Rowe without mentioning Hills. And Hills didn’t appear at any media availabilities after camp practices.

By the end of camp, Hills had flipped the script. Wide receiver Levern Jacobs said he knew Hills was “the guy” after the first drive of the last scrimmage when Hills took the offense down the field for a score.

“It feels really good for someone to look to you as that role and to say you did something so easily and have command of the offense,” Hills said. “That’s your goal. To be the leader, be the commander, take these guys down the field and score.”

Locksley noticed the difference, too. 

“One of the things that really stood out to coach [Randy Edsall] and myself was Perry was one of the few quarterbacks that we had that said ‘Hey, make me live during the scrimmage,’” Locksley said. “There’s a comfort level when he’s out there with the offense. That’s the intangible thing that really put him over the top.” 

The last time Hills started a college game, it ended in disaster. It was Oct. 20, 2012, and Hills’ day came to a premature end when a N.C. State defender pushed him to the ground. Hills had thrown an interception and was running down the ball carrier. He tore his ACL, leaving Byrd Stadium on a cart grimacing.

Hills maintains he’s learned from his mistakes. After the gruesome season-ending injury, he redshirted in 2013, watching every game from the sideline. It ate at him. But he bided his time and kept studying. All he needed was a chance.

Pundits are calling the Terps a longshot to win the Big Ten, just like Hills wasn’t expected to win the starting job. 

He changed everyone’s mind. But first, he had to go home.

“You don’t know how much you love something until it’s taken away from you,” Hills said. “It really drives you to say ‘You know what, if you don’t want to be in this situation, get better. And put yourself back out there.’”