Before he arrives at Gossett Team House to put his pads on and begin preparing for another grueling Maryland football practice each Tuesday afternoon, Alvin Hill has already broken a sweat in the Clarice Smith Performance Art Center. The senior defensive back usually wears leggings, black dance shoes and a Maryland football T-shirt for his ballet class, a two-credit course that he is using to help with conditioning during his final season in College Park.
Hill has long been known as one of the more colorful characters in the program — affectionately nicknamed “Brother Al,” he’s one of the longest-tenured players on the roster and has served as a team barber for the past few years, often trimming his teammates’ hair in the locker room during the offseason.