Calvin Hill
A Yale-educated NFL star who broke barriers as a running back and later championed mental health advocacy off the field.
Born 1947 (age 79)·American football player·Birthday: January 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Calvin Hill entered the NFL as an anomaly: a Yale graduate with a degree in history in a league not known for Ivy Leaguers. Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, he promptly silenced skeptics by winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and becoming a four-time Pro Bowl selection, known for his powerful, graceful running style. His career spanned successful stints with multiple teams, but his influence extended far beyond the gridiron. After retiring, Hill worked as an executive and became a pioneering voice for mental wellness in sports, co-founding the NFL's first player assistance program. He is also the father of NBA superstar Grant Hill, creating a unique dynasty of American athletic excellence.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Calvin was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Calvin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Calvin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1969 after rushing for 942 yards and 8 touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys.
- Selected to the Pro Bowl four times (1969, 1972, 1973, 1974) and helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl VI.
- Became the first Dallas Cowboy to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season, achieving the feat in 1972 and 1973.
Did You Know?
He and his son, Grant Hill, are the only father-son duo to have both been named NBA/NFL Rookie of the Year.
He was a member of the Skull and Bones secret society at Yale University.
He played one season for The Hawaiians in the short-lived World Football League.
“I was a Yale man in a very different NFL.”
