Jerry Hill (American football)

Last updated

Jerry Hill
Hill-Jerry-1970.jpg
No. 45
Position: Fullback
Personal information
Born: (1939-10-12) October 12, 1939 (age 84)
Torrington, Wyoming, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school: Lingle (WY)
College: Wyoming
NFL draft: 1961  / Round:  3  / Pick: 35
AFL draft: 1961  / Round: 2 / Pick: 11
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:2,668
Rush attempts:706
Rushing TDs:22
Receptions:112
Receiving yards:970
Games played:102
Player stats at PFR

Gerald Allen Hill (born October 12, 1939) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wyoming Cowboys. He is a native of Lingle, Wyoming. [1]

Contents

University of Wyoming

Born and raised in southeastern Wyoming, Hill played college football at the University of Wyoming in Laramie under head coach Bob Devaney. He was an All-Skyline Conference running back in 1959 and 1960, and was part of the 1958 team that won the Sun Bowl in his sophomore season. [1]

Hill was selected as Wyoming football's Player of the 20th Century in 1992. [2] He finished his collegiate career with 1,374 rushing yards on 288 carries. He was named as an Honorable Mention All-American in 1959 and 1960.

Baltimore Colts

Selected in the third round (35th overall) of the 1961 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts he played with them through 1970, including Super Bowls III and V. Hill was primarily used as a blocking back for other rushers such as Lenny Moore and Tom Matte and protecting John Unitas from blitzing linebackers. Hill's best season was in 1965, when he led the team in rushing with 516 yards.

Baltimore-based National Brewing Company introduced Colt 45 malt liquor in 1963. The Pabst Brewing Company (current owners of the beverage) claims on their website the "Fun Fact" that Colt 45 was named after Hill, who was #45 on the 1963 Baltimore Colts, and not the .45 caliber cartridge of the same name. [3] However, Hill described the claim as a "rumor," and stated that he never made any endorsements or received any royalties for the alleged use of his name. [4] In a 2020 interview, Hill stated that "They wanted to name the product Colt 45 … I just happened to be the Colt who was wearing 45." [5]

Awards and honors

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl III</span> Third AFL–NFL Championship Game

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 "Super Bowl". Super Bowl III is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in both American football history and in the history of professional sports. The 19 1⁄2- points underdog American Football League (AFL) champion New York Jets defeated the National Football League (NFL) champion Baltimore Colts by a score of 16–7.

Super Bowl V was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to determine the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1970 season. It was the fifth edition of the Super Bowl and the first modern-era NFL championship game. The Colts defeated the Cowboys by the score of 16–13 on a field goal with 5 seconds left in the game. The game was played on January 17, 1971, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, and was the first Super Bowl game played on artificial turf; specifically, the game was played on a Poly-Turf surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmitt Smith</span> American football player (born 1969)

Emmitt James Smith III is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, 13 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys and 2 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Among other accolades, he is the league's all-time leading rusher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Perkins</span> American football player (1938–2022)

Donald Anthony Perkins was an American professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of New Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Matte</span> American football player (1939–2021)

Thomas Roland Matte(Pronounced: MAT-tee) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) in the 1960s and 1970s and earned a Super Bowl ring. He attended Shaw High School in East Cleveland and was an Eagle Scout. Matte was an All-American quarterback playing college football at Ohio State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calvin Hill</span> American football player (born 1947)

Calvin G. Hill is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Cleveland Browns. He also played a season with The Hawaiians of the World Football League (WFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preston Pearson</span> American football player (born 1945)

Preston James Pearson is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Bielski</span> American football player and coach (1932–2023)

Richard Adam Bielski was an American professional football player and coach. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and Baltimore Colts. Bielski played college football at the University of Maryland.

Robert Dean Boyd was an American professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). Boyd spent his entire nine-year career as a cornerback for the Baltimore Colts from 1960 to 1968. He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Orr</span> American football player (1935–2020)

James Edward "Jimmy" Orr Jr. was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, running from 1958 to 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Vogel</span> American football player (born 1941)

Robert Louis Vogel is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman for the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League (NFL) from 1963 to 1972. Vogel was a mainstay on the offensive line that protected quarterback Johnny Unitas, appearing in Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V with the Colts. During his career, Vogel was selected to five Pro Bowls and earned five All-Pro selections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Taseff</span> American football player and coach (1928–2005)

Carl N. "Gaucho" Taseff was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). Taseff had an 11-year playing career, primarily with the Baltimore Colts, where he was a member of the 1958 and 1959 NFL Championship winning teams. Taseff then coached for 27 seasons, winning Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII as part of the Miami Dolphins coaching staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Hinton (American football)</span> American football player (born 1947)

Edward Gerald Hinton is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Hinton spent four seasons with the Baltimore Colts, including their 1970 Super Bowl winning season, and one season each with the Houston Oilers and New England Patriots. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Hawkins</span> American football player (1937–2017)

Clifton Alexander Hawkins was an American football player who played professionally as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts and Atlanta Falcons. He excelled as a special teams player and was a co-captain with the Colts, the first special teams player with this distinction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Norton</span> American football player (1931–2020)

Jerry Ray Norton was a professional American football safety and punter in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. He was selected to five Pro Bowls. He played college football at Southern Methodist University.

Dale Edward Memmelaar was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Colts. He played college football at the University of Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wyoming Cowboys football</span> Football team for the University of Wyoming

The Wyoming Cowboys football program represents the University of Wyoming in college football. They compete in the Mountain West Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of NCAA Division I and have won 14 conference titles. The head coach is Jay Sawvel who is entering his first season as head coach in 2024 after previously serving as the Wyoming Defense Coordinator for the previous four seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L. G. Dupre</span> American football player (1932–2001)

Louis George Dupre was a professional American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Baylor University.

The 1960 Wyoming Cowboys football team was an American football team that represented the University of Wyoming as a member of the 1960 NCAA University Division football season. The Cowboys offense scored 212 points while the defense allowed 71 points. In their fourth year under head coach Bob Devaney, the Cowboys finished the season with eight wins and two losses. Running back Jerry Hill was in his final season and finished his collegiate career with 1,374 rushing yards on 288 carries.

The 1959 Wyoming Cowboys football team was an American football team that represented the University of Wyoming as a member of the Skyline Conference during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. In their third season under head coach Bob Devaney, the Cowboys compiled a 9–1 record, won the Skyline Conference championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 287 to 62. The Cowboys were not ranked during the season, but after the season concluded they were ranked No. 16 in the final AP Poll.

References

  1. 1 2 Hammond, Bob (January 28, 2014). "Where are they now: Jerry Hill was an All-American running back for Cowboys in 1950s". Wyoming Sports Network. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  2. 1 2 "University of Wyoming Official Athletic Site - Traditions". Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  3. ↑ Tom (September 6, 2013). "Why Is It Named Colt 45?". Ghosts of Baltimore. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  4. ↑ Hutchins, Paul (December 6, 2012). "Catching up with former Colts fullback Jerry Hill". The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Kevin's Commentary — Jerry Hill". University of Wyoming Athletics. September 10, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2024.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.