Hall of Fame member and two sport standout John Hill '72 passes away
10/25/2018 11:23:00 AM | Football, Men's Track and Field
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh Hall of Fame member and two sport standout John S. Hill '72 passed away Sunday at the age of 68. Hill is regarded as one of the greatest offensive linemen in Lehigh football history and enjoyed a 14-year career in the National Football League. He also competed in track and field, where his school records in the shot put stood for more than 40 years.
On the gridiron, Hill was a 1971 All-American who was also recognized as All-East by the New York Times and the ECAC. A team captain as a senior, Hill played in the East-West Shrine Game and the Coaches All-American postseason game.
Hill was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 1972 draft and played three seasons in New York before moving on to the New Orleans Saints, where he spent the majority of his career. He served as a team captain his final five seasons and was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 1992. Hill is also a member of the Saints' 25th and 45th anniversary teams.
In track and field, Hill competed for legendary coach John Covert. Hill's was a champion at the Penn Relays, and set the school's indoor (17.40m) and outdoor (18.31m) shot put records in 1972. Both of those records stood for more than 40 years until Lucas Warning '17 broke Hill's indoor record in 2016 and the outdoor mark in 2017.
Hill graduated from Lehigh with a degree in Engineering in 1972. He was inducted in to the Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993.
Hill's complete obituary can be found HERE.
On the gridiron, Hill was a 1971 All-American who was also recognized as All-East by the New York Times and the ECAC. A team captain as a senior, Hill played in the East-West Shrine Game and the Coaches All-American postseason game.
Hill was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 1972 draft and played three seasons in New York before moving on to the New Orleans Saints, where he spent the majority of his career. He served as a team captain his final five seasons and was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 1992. Hill is also a member of the Saints' 25th and 45th anniversary teams.
In track and field, Hill competed for legendary coach John Covert. Hill's was a champion at the Penn Relays, and set the school's indoor (17.40m) and outdoor (18.31m) shot put records in 1972. Both of those records stood for more than 40 years until Lucas Warning '17 broke Hill's indoor record in 2016 and the outdoor mark in 2017.
Hill graduated from Lehigh with a degree in Engineering in 1972. He was inducted in to the Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993.
Hill's complete obituary can be found HERE.
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