Calvin Hill
Teams
Dallas Cowboys (1969-1974)
Washington Redskins (1976-1977)
Cleveland Browns (1978-1981)
Playoffs
Appearances - 7 (1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1976,1980)
Conf Champ Games - 4 (1970,1971,1972,1973)
Super Bowls - 2 (1970,1971)
Championships - 1 (1971)
Awards and Honors
Offensive Rookie of the Year - 1969
Pro Bowl - 4 (1969,1972,1973,1974)
All-Pro First Team - 1 (1969)
All-Time Ranks
Rushing Yards - #98
League Leads
Rushing Yards (#2-1969, #3-1973, #7-1972, #8-1974)
Rushing Touchdowns (#3-1969, #5-1971, #8-1974)
Yards per Rush (#3-1969, #7-1974)
Rushing Yards per Game (#2-1969, #4-1973, #7-1974, #9-1972)
Total Touchdowns (#3-1971)
Scrimmage Yards (#2-1973, #3-1969, #4-1972)
Yards per Touch (#4-1971,1978, #8-1969)
After playing quarterback in high school, Calvin Hill was switched to halfback in college at Yale, where he picked up 680 rushing yards and 532 receiving yards as a senior, leading to his selection as the 24th overall pick in the 1969 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, a rarity for a player from Yale.
Hill had a very impressive rookie campaign, finishing with 942 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns, which earned him the Rookie of the Year award, despite missing two games late in the season due to a broken toe, then playing with the broken toe in the final 2 games.
The next two seasons were rough ones for Hill. He missed a month in his second season due to an infection in the foot that had been injured the year before, then hurt his back, which cost him playing time, but not games. In 1971, he tore his ACL and missed 6 games, thinking it was just a sprain, but when he returned for the NFC title game, he injured it again scoring a touchdown. The Cowboys went on to win the Super Bowl that year with Hill on the sideline.
He was finally healthy in 1972, and he became the first Cowboy in history to rush for 1000 yards in a season. He was also named to the Pro Bowl for the first time since he was a rookie, and he improved in each of the next two seasons, ending each in the Pro Bowl as well.
Prior to that 6th season with the Cowboys, he was drafted by the Hawaiians of the World Football League. He signed a contract with them, but still played out the season with Dallas before joining the Hawaiians. He played in 3 games for them in 1975 before tearing his MCL, and the league folded before he could return from the injury.
He signed with the Washington Redskins, but didn't get many touches, and ended up retiring after 2 seasons. The Cleveland Browns talked him out of retirement, and he joined them to play 4 more seasons as a third-down back before retiring for good in 1981.
Much like his son, NBA star Grant Hill, Calvin struggled through injuries throughout his career, which may have prevented him from reaching his full potential, but he still had several good years with the Cowboys during some of the franchise's best years, and he was an important part of a championship team, even if he missed the Super Bowl due to injury, and he is one of the best to play the game.
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