Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill added a unique honor on Tuesday to the list of accolades he's accumulated during his college career when his hometown of Columbus, Mississippi, presented him with a key to the city in honor of his stand that helped lead to a change in Mississippi's state flag.
"Growing up, I used to always tell my friends, 'one day, I'm going to try and get the key to the city,'" Hill said during the ceremony. "I did. They would always push me and say, 'one day you're going to get it, bro.' And I said, 'I'm going to make a change one day.'"
Hill helped make a change on June 22 when he posted on Twitter that he would not "be representing this State anymore" unless the Mississippi flag, which featured a Confederate emblem, was changed. Because of Hill's status as a first-team All-SEC performer for the Bulldogs, his stance drew national attention and increased the pressure on the state legislature to change the flag. Within a week, legislators had voted to make the change.
Kylin Hill was presented the key to the city in his hometown of Columbus, Mississippi, tonight.
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) July 22, 2020
Congratulations, @H_Kylin 👊#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/32z1HwrHrG
"As you all know, Kylin is a courageous young man who did a bold and brave thing," Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen said, who attended Tuesday's presentation. "He shared an emboldened belief held by many Mississippians that a paradigm-shifting change needed to be made. It was time for a new flag."
Hill shared a photo of himself with the key on Tuesday night and called it a "True Blessing."
"God works his wonders," Hill wrote.
