Route King Roots: How Hilton Alexander’s Coaching Shaped Deuce into an Ole Miss Playmaker
OXFORD, Miss. – Playing football at the professional level is a skill that requires natural ability, passion, and, above all, work ethic at the highest level. Having played in the NFL, Hilton Alexander is someone who understands what it takes to get to the league — while also acknowledging that it can be ripped away in the blink of an eye.
After three seasons as a professional receiver, Hilton made the decision to hang up the cleats due to the consistent level of injuries he faced throughout his career. Despite his retirement in the early 2000s, Hilton was quickly drawn back to the game of football following the birth of his son, Deuce, a wide receiver on the Ole Miss football team.
“Deuce came out of the womb being athletic. He wanted to catch, jump, and throw. When he got to be four years old, he told me he wanted to play football… I didn’t plan on coaching, I just wanted to train him.”
– Hilton on Deuce’s early years
At just six years old, Deuce was fully ingrained in the game of football, being coached and trained by his dad. Simultaneously, Hilton had also been working with Deuce’s older sister, Kayla, who became an emerging track and field prodigy during her upbringing.
“She started to have immediate success. We took her to a local county track meet, and she went out there and beat everybody. I think that day a star was born.“
– Hilton on his daughter Kayla
It wasn’t long before folks in the Atlanta neighborhood began noticing that both of Hilton’s children were two of the most talented athletes in the area.
With Deuce’s success on the football field and Kayla’s domination on the track, Hilton received numerous questions about their training regimen. Soon after, his training went public for local athletes in the area, and his long-term business was created.
“I was training both of my kids, and they were having so much success. They were like, ‘Man, what are you doing with your kids? Can you train my kids?’ It started with one child, then another and another, and next thing you know, I got 30 or 40 kids on any given Sunday… My wife was like, ‘Yeah, you better go ahead and legitimize this.’ I was like, what am I going to call it? One of my buddies said, ‘You’re the route king, you know you’re the king of routes.’ I took the name, and Route King was born.”
– Hilton on the origin of Route King
Since its beginning in 2014, Route King now has 40,000+ followers on Instagram and has become a national brand, incorporating a variety of collegiate and NFL wide receivers, such as Tyreek Hill. At Ole Miss, you can find players such as Austin Simmons, Kewan Lacy, and many other Rebel teammates representing Route King merchandise on and off the field.
Regardless of the notoriety and brand recognition Route King holds in 2025, Hilton has made it a point to keep his mission consistent year after year.
“I liked to take kids that are relatively unknown and coach them up. When I started coaching Deuce at four, I had 30 of his teammates, and none of them played football… I had a nucleus of kids that I coached and trained during that time period that are now some of the best players in college football… KJ Bolden at Georgia, Jadan Baugh at Florida, Jay Crawford at Auburn… the list goes on.“
– Hilton on his goal of Route King
As for his own children, Kayla now holds several records on the women’s track team at Louisville, and Deuce has become a successful fan favorite for the Ole Miss Rebels.
According to Hilton, he plans on watching his son in red and blue for the next three years, thanks to the staff development and culture in Oxford.
“That’s why I co-signed it immediately. I wanted him to be in an environment with someone that could nurture his talent. He has natural talent, but talent still has to be nurtured… the Ole Miss staff has a history of developing guys for the next level.“
– Hilton on Deuce’s decision to come to Ole Miss
Through five games, the redshirt sophomore has collected 17 receptions, 313 yards, and a touchdown, averaging 18.4 yards per catch. Watching his son grow from a four-year-old kid to an underrated high school player into an SEC wide receiver gives Hilton a sense of accomplishment for his family.
“He’s mastered it, man. I’m just so proud of the kid because he always trusted the process… from 8th to 10th grade, he wasn’t growing, and he still was small. I said, ‘Hey man, put your head down and keep working.’ That kid kept working, and this is just the truth of the work he’s been putting in.“
– Hilton on his son’s success
For Deuce, who’s undergoing his first fall in Mississippi, he takes pride in calling Ole Miss home, crediting the fans and environment for making game days so unique.
“I think I made the right decision coming here. The way the offense uses me, the crowd is crazy, and my favorite part of gameday is the Walk. I think I made a great decision.”
– Deuce on his decision to come to Ole Miss
Moving into the second half of this season, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for No. 11 on gamedays along with his dad, Hilton, in the stands, who’s raised the next generation’s Route King.
