The Mississippi Senate approved a resolution that laid the groundwork for the state to remove the Confederate emblem from its flag, per Giacomo Bologna and Luke Ramseth of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger.

Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill, who said he would leave the team if the Confederate symbol was not changed, offered his response to Saturday's news:

Hill was born and raised in Columbus, Mississippi, and played high school ball for Columbus as well.

Kay Jones, James Froio and Kelly Mena of CNN.com offered specifics on the state government's decision and what lies ahead:

"The newly passed resolution suspends the rules so that lawmakers can consider a bill that would change or remove the flag. First, the Mississippi House of Representatives passed the measure in a vote of 85-34 amid loud cheers in the chamber, followed by the Senate in a vote of 36-14.

"The passage of the measure in both chambers now leads the way for a bill to be proposed and passed to allow for the change of the state flag. The bill is expected to be taken up on Sunday afternoon, when both the House and Senate go back into session."

Hill played an instrumental role in the likely change and kept the momentum going when he made these statements Monday:

Collegiate sports teams in the state soon got behind Hill's efforts, to the point where head coaches (including Mississippi State football head coach Mike Leach) lobbied lawmakers to make the change:

Coaches, players and the SEC all protested against the state flag, and Stewart Mandel of The Athletic provided a timeline of events that included Hill's tweet:

Now the change appears to be on the way.

Hill dominated on the gridiron for the Bulldogs last year, rushing for 1,350 yards and 10 touchdowns on 242 carries (5.6 yards per carry). He added 18 receptions for 180 yards and one more score.