‘God is first,” Tylan Hines said of his life’s priority list, but football was not far behind while growing up in Mount Pleasant, Texas.
After listening to the Sunday sermon at Sheppard Street Church of Christ, the then 5-year-old Hines joined friends of all ages for games of “throw it and tackle” football.
“In my church clothes, I’d go out there and play on this little grass patch in front of the church,” Hines recalled. “They’d get mad when I came back with grass stains. I tried not to go down to the ground.”
On Friday nights in the fall, Hines would watch high school games at John Clark Stadium. At halftime, Hines would play tackle football on the neighboring field. “Then we’d go back and watch the second half,” he said.
Hines eventually starred in football and track for Plano Senior High. Even at 5 feet 7, Hines appeared to have emerged from the Marvel Universe. He was fueled with his power breakfast — a toasted sandwich of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns and jelly — and lunches that were leftovers from the previous night’s dinner of fried catfish, peas, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes and “lots of pork chops.”
When he was 12, Hines helped Papa — grandfather Stanley Talbert — build the family home. They poured the concrete for the driveway, and constructed the house cubic brick by cubic brick. Through high school, the unused bricks became dumbbells. “A lot of hard work around the house to build up my strength,” Hines said. “Country strength is real.”
After graduating from Plano, Hines attended the Air Force Preparatory Academy in the fall of 2021. Instead of advancing to the Air Force Academy, Hines opted to join the Warriors in 2022. Last year, Hines was second to Dedrick Parson, rushing for 634 yards. His average of 7.6 yards per rush was second nationally among FBS freshmen. More impressively, Hines, now 175 pounds, excelled in re-routing pass rushers with jarring blocks. During offseason testing, Hines back-squatted 500 pounds.
“I was excited to do it,” said Hines, crediting strength/conditioning coach Kody Cooke. “We put a lot of hard work in. Coach Cooke got us right.”
This season, Hines will be used as a “slashback”— a running back who also will align as a slot receiver or third wideout. Hines is viewed as the leading candidate to return punts and kickoffs.
To maintain agility and build stamina, he carries a rope ladder in his backpack and, after practices, sprints on hills. While running, he clutches a football — high and tight, of course.
He said the football represents “my team, my school, Hawaii. It’s everything. I try to protect it to the best of my ability. I’ve got footballs all around the house. I sleep with a football. I try to protect it 24/7.”
The Scouting Report
To defenses, Tylan Hines was a Manoa mist, with 18 dashes of 10-plus yards and seven of 20 or more yards. He averaged a team-high 3.87 post-contact yards. Derek Boyd, who was projected to set up in the backfield when Hines flexed to receiver, instead suffered a season-ending knee injury during player-run practices this summer. Nasjzae Bryant-Lelei missed training-camp reps because of a leg ailment. But Landon Sims — the son of former UH running back Travis Sims — has made the successful move from H-back/tight end to his father’s old position. In the super-sized package, guard Solo Vaipulu is used as a big back.
Running backs
2 Tylan Hines 5-7 175 So. Mt. Pleasant, Texas
11 Jordan Johnson 5-9 175 So. Dallas
21 David Cordero 5-10 185 So. Tucson, Ariz.
22 Nasjzae Bryant-Lelei 5-10 215 Sr. Orlando, Fla.
30 Landon Sims 6-2 205 So. Gig Harbor, Wash.
