Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill indicated on Monday that he will cut ties with the school if state lawmakers fail to change the Mississippi state flag.
Hill is a Mississippi native and one of the top rushers in college football.
"Either change the flag or I won't be representing this State anymore & I meant that .. I'm tired," Hill wrote via Twitter.
The Mississippi flag is the nation's only state flag that features the Confederate battle emblem. The flag is among the symbols that have generated additional scrutiny since the killing of George Floyd while in police custody in Minnesota last month, and the subsequent decision by NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag from its events. Last week, Mississippi lawmakers discussed options that included a statewide referendum to determine the flag's fate and the adoption of a second state flag. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves wrote in a Tweet on Monday that he is against the idea of a second state flag, which drew Hill's response.
The NCAA moved last week to prohibit any championship events from being held in states where the the Confederate battle emblem appears on the flag. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey also called for the flag to be changed and said his league could take the same action.
Seattle Seahawks LB K.J. Wright, who played for Mississippi State from 2007 to 2010, tweeted his support of Hill's position, as did Hill's teammates Brandon Cunningham and Marcus Murphy.
The 5-foot-11, 215-pound Hill is set to be a senior this fall after exploding for 1,350 rushing yards last season -- good for third in the SEC behind 2020 NFL Draft picks Lynn Bowden Jr., who also tweeted support for Hill on Monday, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire -- with 10 touchdowns on 242 carries.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter at @ChaseGoodbread.
