Winston Hill

Winston Cordell Hill (October 23, 1941 – April 26, 2016) was an American professional football player who played offensive tackle in the American Football League and the National Football League, primarily with the New York Jets. He grew up in Joaquin, Texas, where his father, Garfield Hill, served as principal of Weldon High School in Gladewater. Hill was a tennis champion in high school before attending Texas Southern University, where he played both offensive and defensive line for the Tigers and earned All-American honors.

Hill was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 1963 NFL draft but signed as a free agent with New York's American Football League franchise in the same year it became the New York Jets. He went on to record the tenth-longest string of starts in pro football history, at 174. As the Jets' left offensive tackle, he protected Joe Namath's blind side and opened holes for runners including Emerson Boozer, Matt Snell, and John Riggins. Hill was named an American Football League All-Star in 1964, 1967, 1968, and 1969, and was a Pro Bowl selection in 1970 and 1971.