Winston Cordell Hill (October 23, 1941 – April 26, 2016) was an American professional
football player who was an
offensive tackle in the
American Football League (AFL) and
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL), primarily with the
New York Jets. He played
college football for the
Texas Southern Tigers
The Texas Southern Tigers represent Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas, in intercollegiate athletics. They field sixteen teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, golf, and track and field; women's-only bowling, soccer ...
.
Early years
Hill grew up in
Joaquin, Texas
Joaquin ( , ) is a city in northeastern Shelby County, Texas, United States. Founded in 1885, it was named after Joaquin Morris, grandson of the original land owner, Benjamin Franklin Morris. Its population was 734 at the 2020 census. It is locate ...
. His father, Garfield Hill, served as principal of Weldon High School in
Gladewater, Texas
Gladewater is a city in Gregg and Upshur counties in the U.S. state of Texas with a 2020 census population of 6,134.
In the early 20th century, Gladewater was an oil boom town. In 1995, the Texas Legislature proclaimed it the "Antique Capital o ...
. Winston was a
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
champion in high school. He played both offensive and defensive line in college at
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University (Texas Southern or TSU) is a public historically black university in Houston, Texas. The university is one of the largest and most comprehensive historically black college or universities in the USA with nearly 10,00 ...
and was an All-American.
Football career
Hill was drafted by the
Baltimore Colts in 1963, but signed as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
with New York's
American Football League franchise in the same year that they became the
New York Jets, and went on to record the tenth-longest string of starts in pro football history at 174. As left offensive
tackle for the Jets, he spent his career protecting
Joe Namath's blind side and opening holes for the likes of
Emerson Boozer
Emerson Boozer (born July 4, 1943) is a former running back in the American Football League (AFL) and in the National Football League (NFL). In the last year of separate drafts by the AFL and the NFL, Boozer signed with the AFL's New York Jets, r ...
,
Matt Snell
Matthews Snell (born August 18, 1941) is a retired professional football player who played for the New York Jets. He was Jets' owner Sonny Werblin's first coup, prior to his 1965 acquisition of Joe Namath. A powerful fullback out of Ohio Stat ...
and
John Riggins
Robert John Riggins (born August 4, 1949), nicknamed "Riggo" and "Diesel", is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. He played col ...
. He was an
American Football League All-Star in 1964, 1967, 1968 and 1969, and a
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
selection in 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973. He and
Joe Namath joined the
Los Angeles Rams in 1977; Namath retired after one season and Hill after three games. On January 15, 2020, Hill was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020, and is in the Class of 2021 for the Black College Football Hall of Fame.
1968 season and Super Bowl III
Hill was an overpowering blocker who was instrumental in opening gaping holes for Jet running backs during the 1968 season, in which they won the Eastern division title with 11 wins and 3 losses and gained as a team 1608 yards rushing and 3574 yards passing. Hill also starred in the Third Professional
AFL-NFL World Championship Game
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
(
Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III was an American football game played on January 12, 1969 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. It was the third AFL–NFL Championship Game in professional American football, and the first to officially bear the trademark name "Su ...
), as the Jets decimated the right side of the
Baltimore Colts' defensive line with
Ordell Braase
Ordell Wayne Braase ( ; March 13, 1932 – March 25, 2019) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played with the Baltimore Colts throughout his career. While Braase was with the Colts they won the NFL ...
at end against Hill and
Fred Miller at tackle against
Bob Talamini, so that
Matt Snell
Matthews Snell (born August 18, 1941) is a retired professional football player who played for the New York Jets. He was Jets' owner Sonny Werblin's first coup, prior to his 1965 acquisition of Joe Namath. A powerful fullback out of Ohio Stat ...
gained 121 yards rushing in the Jets' 16–7 upset victory.
Special recognition
In 1970 Hill was selected by a panel of members of the AFL's Hall of Fame Board of Selectors to the second-team
All-time All-American Football League Team. He was a member of the New York Jets' All-Time Four Decade Team, which was determined by the fans in 2003. Hill was a 1986 inductee into the Texas Southern University Sports Hall of Fame.
The 2009 NFL season was the 50th season for the eight original AFL teams, and that anniversary was commemorated throughout the season with 16 "AFL Legacy Games." One of those games, pitting the NY Jets against the Miami Dolphins, took place in New York on Sunday November 1; designated by the NFL as "Winston Hill Day". Hill's daughter, opera singer Heather Hill, opened the game by singing the national anthem, and fifteen of Hill's former teammates and other ex-Jets joined the festivities. As part of the celebration, Hill's jersey, #75, was retired during the halftime ceremonies.
On Monday August 16, 2010, during halftime of the first game played at the New Meadowlands Stadium (a preseason opener; Jets vs. Giants), Hill was inducted into the Jets Ring of Honor. This selection was made by an internal committee led by Jets Chairman and CEO Woody Johnson.
On January 15, 2020, Hill was elected to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...
Class of 2020. The following year he was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, GA over the
Juneteenth
Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth", it is celebrated on the anniversary of General Order No. 3, i ...
weekend. The BCHOF has a permanent residence in Canton, OH. Hill will be honored posthumously over Labor Day weekend in Canton, OH.
Later life
Hill was a 46-year Colorado resident. During that time he became known for his generous nature and philanthropic community based activities. He was an ardent supporter of youth programs and brought campers to the Joe Namath, John Dockery football camp until he was no longer able to travel. He collaborated with fellow athletes and was often the only non Bronco invited to Bronco parties when he was in town.
Hill worked with the Gilliam Youth Center in Denver and was a major supporter of restorative justice. He volunteered for years at the Denver Indian Center and got fellow pro athletes, Broncos and Nuggets to donate sporting equipment and to volunteer time at youth camps. He was a motivational speaker for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and spoke nationally for twenty years.
Concerning the NFL, Hill was an active member of the Alumni Players Association and was an insistent advocate in two areas: Financial education for players and health care equal to the needs of retired football players, many who suffered from injuries sustained during years as a player. Financially, he had great concern surrounding young players coming in and receiving massive salaries without the information and wisdom needed to negotiate or handle their income responsibly. His most pressing passion was advocating for player's health. Prior to and during the years that concussive brain syndrome was coming into the spotlight, Hill had annually discussed the need for better healthcare provisions for retired players. Players, especially the older ones, whose careers preceded the super salaries of today, often did not have the funds nor the means to travel to their home team headquarters to request support with their increasing health concerns. The year after Hill died, 2017 at the annual Jets Alumni meeting held at the Atlantic Health Training Center, leadership discussed the changes that were in place and detailed a list of supports to answer the call for proper medical treatment. Daughter Heather Hill stated, "Winston went to the mountain top, but was not able to cross over. Still his persistence was a voice of change and action that has brought us to this day."
Hill opened his first barbecue restaurant in 1980 after apprenticing under the legendary 5 points community leader, Daddy Bruce Randolf
Over the years he became involved in several restaurant ventures but his favorite location was a little take out his family still runs to this day.
Hill brought a smoker and his cooking talents to
Centennial, Colorado
Centennial is a home rule municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 108,418 at the 2020 United States Census, making Centennial the 11th most populous municipality in Colorado. Centennial is a part ...
in the early 1990s and opened Winston Hill's BBQ or Winston Hill's Ribs & Stuff; now called Winston's Smoke BBQ. As of February 2023, the location has since closed permanently.
His daughters, Heather Hill, singer/actress and Hovlyn May, educator, began the Winston Hill Finish Like a Pro Athletic Endowed Scholarship at Texas Southern University aimed at juniors and seniors needing help to finish "like pros" in the fields of physical education, sports medicine, physical therapy, neurological sciences.
Death
Hill died on April 26, 2016 at the age of 74.
He died of congestive heart failure and concussive brain syndrome. At his request his brain was donated to science to further the research on brain injuries suffered by athletes.
See also
*
Other American Football League players
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Winston
1941 births
2016 deaths
People from Gladewater, Texas
People from Joaquin, Texas
Players of American football from Texas
African-American players of American football
American football offensive tackles
Texas Southern Tigers football players
New York Jets players
Los Angeles Rams players
American Football League players
American Football League All-Star players
American Football League All-Time Team
American Conference Pro Bowl players
Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
20th-century African-American sportspeople
21st-century African-American people