Film Crew Following North High Football Team Remembers Deshaun Hill
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The documentary film crew spotlighting the Minneapolis North High School football team will now use their upcoming series to honor the life of Deshaun Hill Jr.
Hill, who was shot and killed near a bus stop on Minneapolis' north side Wednesday, was a focal point of the series, said producer Charles Box.
"He wasn't a kid of many words, but I his actions on the field spoke for his ability and his talent," said Box, who has been working on the documentary since August. "I believe off the field the exact same thing. Just the antics and who he was with his friends spoke volumes. Even with us. We became like family."
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The documentary, which is still slated to air on Showtime late this spring, followed players from the team both on and off the field. Box says despite Hill's reserved demeanor, the teen was impressive when he was playing – and also when he wasn't.
"Yes he's the quarterback on the field and he's throwing touchdowns and he's doing great, but off the field, he's doing the exact same things amongst his friends and family," Box said. "He was still this star."
Box says the crew had met extensively with Hill's family during the documentary's filming – even following the 15-year-old on a first date. On Wednesday, Box says he had just ended a phone call with Hill's mother when he got the news the teen had been shot.
"He's a 15-year-old kid is what I'm thinking," Box said. "The other thing is that he's a very quiet and humble kid, a very meek kid. I'm just like, this can't be reality at this moment. This can't be. It started to be confirmed that it was."
Box says now, his mission is to keep Hill's spirit alive through the documentary.
"We came here to do something meaningful, and I think, believe, and feel that this is meaningful," he said. "To preserve his life and show and highlight him in the best light possible. Exemplify on screen his talents, gifts, and who he was as a person and spread the love that they showed us and give people the ability to see who this 15-year-old kid was who touched so many people."
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