Remembering New York Jets’ Great Winston Hill

The New York Jets are preparing for the draft, but also mourning one of their own. We remember the life and career of Winston Hill.

It may be time for the NFL draft, but it has been a rough week for the New York Jets, as they have lost a legendary member of the family. As first reported by Randy Lange from the Jets’ website, former offensive lineman Winston Hill passed away on April 26th in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. He was 74 years old.

Related Story: Who Should the Jets Avoid in the NFL Draft?

Here is the statement from team owner Woody Johnson, also reported by Lange on the team website:

"“I was very sad to hear of the passing of Winston Hill,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said tonight. “He was our most decorated player with a franchise-record eight all-star game appearances. And as accomplished as he was on the field, he was an even better person whose profound impact on his teammates and those who came in contact with him left an impression for a lifetime. He was the type of man who if you were his friend, you thought you were his best friend. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and many friends of one of the Jets’ all-time greats.”"

Hill was born in Joaquin, Texas, on October 23, 1941. His father was a high school principal in Texas, and Winston spent his early life in the Lone Star state. He was a two-way player at Texas Southern University, playing on both the offensive and defensive lines.

Hill was not drafted by the team that had only just become the Jets  Back then, the NFL draft was held in December before the upcoming year, and he was drafted in the 11th round by the Baltimore Colts. Luckily for the Jets, the Colts released Winston, and they snatched him up during the summer prior to the 1963 season. The rest, as they say, was history.

The 6’4″, 270-pound tackle slid right into the left tackle position, and didn’t vacate the position until the 1971 season, when he slid over to right tackle for the rest of his career. He didn’t just play left tackle, he excelled. His first post season honor came in 1964 when he was selected to the AFL All-Star game. Beginning in 1967, Hill was selected to seven straight all-star games (AFL or NFL), bringing him to eight overall, a franchise record. Keep in mind, during the streak, four were at left tackle and three were at right tackle.

That type of versatility is something that is rarely seen in an offensive lineman.

He was also as durable as they come. Hill played in 195 consecutive games, and started 174 straight games, both franchise records. In Super Bowl III, Randy Lange writes that Hill “flattened” Baltimore defenders, leading the Jets to 142 rushing yards in victory, Matt Snell picking up 121 of those yards.

Winston remained with the Jets through the 1976 season.  In 1977, he and Joe Namath flew to L.A.vto play for the Rams, with Hill playing in three games before calling it quits.

Fans remember Hill as a team player.  A long-time Jets’ fan (my father) had this to say on the topic:

"Winston was the consummate team player.  Even though he was a great player in his own right, I remember vividly he was always talking to Dave Herman(guard) and John Schmidt regarding positioning and technique during games. On the sidelines the conversations seemed to continue forever."

He remembered a critical play involving Hill from the 1968 AFL Championship game against the Raiders:

"During the championship game against the Raiders he got beat by Ben Davidson and Namath got crushed. Winston walked back to the huddle and it was obvious that Namath was in La La land. The very next play, Winston pancaked Davidson and Namath completed a “down and out” to George Sauer to keep the drive alive. As Hill came back to the huddle, Namath patted his helmet in a way you knew that his play was truly appreciated."

For his excellent play, Hill was recognized often. In addition to the all-star appearances, Hill was elected to the AFL All-Time team, and the Jets’ Four Decade team. When the Jets introduced the Ring of Honor in 2010, he was in the first class, along with Namath, Don Maynard, Curtis Martin, Joe Klecko, and Weeb Ewbank.

More nfl spin zone: Should the Jets Take a Quarterback in Round One?

He was a fantastic player, and one that Jets’ fans will remember forever.