St. Joe’s Prep running back Khyan Billups reached a milestone last achieved by D’Andre Swift

Khyan Billups always wanted to play for the highly touted St. Joseph’s Prep football team. It’s why his father, Quaron, took Billups out of Frankford Friends School at age 6 and put him into Norwood-Fontbonne Academy in Chestnut Hill.

It’s also why he would drive hours from their home in Frankford so his son could train with coaches and have access to the best resources. He didn’t have the same opportunity growing up, Quaron said, and he wasn’t going to let that happen to Khyan.

“He had no fear at the age of 5 out there on the field,” said Quaron, who played football at Lincoln High School. “When he was younger, I used to drive him all the way out to New Hope [for practice] and remind him, ‘This is why you work hard. We live in the hood. When you make it, that’s where you are going to stand.’”

The running back carries himself differently because the stakes have always felt high. But once he arrived at The Prep, there was a time when he doubted he could make it as a football player.

As a sophomore, Billups was fifth on the depth chart, sidelining him for most varsity games. His father vividly remembers his son’s frustration after practices, him saying, “I’m better than these guys. I should be playing,” as tears came down his face.

But Billups stayed the course. When his name was called this season, he took advantage of the moment. The junior rushed for 1,170 yards and scored 16 touchdowns, helping The Prep capture its third straight state title in the PIAA Class 6A final on Dec. 7.

“I put a lot of time and effort into this sport,” said Billups, who scored three touchdowns in the Hawks’ 35-6 win over Pittsburgh Central Catholic. “When I’m able to just put on a show and just do everything that I need to do the right way, it’s always a good thing for me. I enjoy doing it.”

D’Andre Swift, a former Eagle who now plays for the Chicago Bears, was the last Prep running back to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing milestone with 1,564 in 2016.

Billups eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark after his 80-yard rushing touchdown on the opening drive of the state championship. He dedicated his performance to his offensive linemen, telling them beforehand that he would score on the first play. Former Prep quarterback Samaj Jones, now at Cincinnati, made a similar prediction in the state final two years ago.

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“I was in shock after I scored,” Billups said. “I tried to play it off a little bit, but I was in shock. When we got back to the sideline, I was just so happy that I was able to do that for them.”

It was a moment he’ll never forget, and all he needed was the opportunity to do so. The 5-foot-8, 165-pound back entered his junior season splitting carries with Ohio State-bound Isaiah West, with the senior getting more of the carries.

But after West went down with a season-ending injury against La Salle College High on Oct. 5, Billups needed to step up for his team. He was now the starter and No. 1 option.

“With his development, we knew he was going to be able to help us in some way this season,” said coach Tim Roken. “Him and Isaiah were a one-two punch. It was a great combination, but after Isaiah went down, the following week, Khyan started to have an understanding that ‘I’ve got to be the lead guy now.’”

Billups scored in each of the final six games of the season, notching two touchdowns in each of the four games preceding the state final.

He has earned his spot on the roster, but it wasn’t easy getting there. Growing up, Billups was the standout on his youth teams, his father said. From playing on the Mount Airy flag football team to the North Philly Blackhawks, he was always on the field.

When he came to The Prep, he scored 30 touchdowns for the freshman team.

“He has undeniable hunger,” said Prep assistant coach Darren Swift, the father of D’Andre, who started training Khyan at age 6 in track. “He always had that. He’s not the type of athlete or person that is cool with status quo — he always wants to get better.”

A fire burned in Billups during his sophomore season. He was not playing on Friday or Saturday nights, but he was getting reps in practice against the first-team defense on the scout team, which runs similar offensive plays to the Hawks' upcoming opponents.

Billups needed to learn to be patient, which Roken says has been his biggest area of development.

“He’s got great speed,” Roken said. “As the season went on, you saw his confidence grow. Then watching the game, in my eyes, slow down for him was pretty cool.”

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Billups aspires to play Division I football. He doesn’t have a college scholarship offer yet, but he has been talking with coaches. He hopes after a season’s worth of film and his standout performances that those calls will come sooner than later.

“I’ve grown a lot as a player when it comes to my basic game and even doing the extra things, like my blocking ability has gotten better, catching ability has gotten better,” Billups said. “When it comes to me as a person, I matured a lot since last year — I’ve grown mentally a lot.”

And there’s still more of his story to be written.

He has another year to grow, and, as Quaron always tells him, to “take full advantage” of every opportunity he gets.

“Whatever anybody throws in my way, I can handle it,” Billups said. “Pressure doesn’t break my pipes ever. I’ll always stand on top, no matter what.”