The legendary quarterback and his protector, Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, was the birthplace of their 50-year friendship.Joe Namath was still recovering from knee surgery and hadn't yet played in a down in an NFL game. Although he was 21 years old, he felt alone and helpless in a new place. Winston Hill, the team’s left tackle, knocked at the door.Namath and Hill would play 12 years in New York together, winning a historic Super Bowl, and eventually reaching the ultimate football destination, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio. Hill, who passed away in April 2016, will be honored posthumously as a Centennial Class member of 2020. Namath was moved by Hill's selection and got very emotional.He told ESPN.com, "I tell ya what, the eyes got full of tears, I promise."They were, however, two strangers from different worlds on that fateful date in 1965 in the hospital room.Namath, a white party boy from Western Pennsylvania was bold and free-spirited. Hill, who was Black, was raised in Jim Crow Texas. He once watched a youth football match through a chain link fence as a child and asked his father "Why can't you play?" Hill, the son of a pastor and deeply spiritual, was more straight-laced. Hill didn't smoke, didn't drink and didn't cuss.Except for the one occasion when he met Namath. (Wink, wink.You will never forget some moments in your life, such as a wedding or the birth of your child. Namath's first encounter with Hill at the hospital was one of these days. Namath can still recall the moment from 56 years ago. It speaks volumes about their deep friendship and the impact Hill had on the team. They embraced his goodness, and saw him as an inspiring influence in an age of social unrest.Namath stated, "In my mind’s eye, he is there to this day." "I was in Lenox Hill Hospital's hospital bed. There was a quiet knock at the door. I say, "Come in." Winston and Carolyn, his wife, arrived. It was our first meeting. He wore a black leather trench and carried his hat. They sat beside me and talked. This was the new style I suppose. It was welcoming and inviting, something I hadn't seen before."At that time, Rheingold [beer] sponsored us, and in the corner was a Rheingold cooler, with some bottles whiskey on the top. Winston asked me to get him a drink. He looked at Carolyn and then turned his back. I watched him pour about a half-glass of Scotch into his water-glass. He looked up and took a sip straight after."That's all he ever drank in the 50 years that I have known him. He laughed. (He laughed.) It was amazing. He was amazing. He and Carolyn wanted to meet me and welcome me to their team. It was our first meeting.Hill was a four-time AFL All-Star, and a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He is an original member of Jets' Ring of Honor. Bettmann via Getty ImagesNamath was there to make sure Namath's room was full of adult beverages. He said that his doctor came by at the end each day to check his knees and give him a quick drink. Hill was also eloquent in this, as he didn't want his team to feel like the little boy at the other end of the chain-link fence.Hill's family legend includes the Scotch-drinking tale, which was passed on to his children. Hovlyn May, the daughter of Hill, shared a humorous postscript to her father’s out-of-character chug. She said, "He walked outside the room, leaned against the wall, and almost slid down it."Hill, 6-foot-4 and 270-pounds, wobbled. But he became a friend for the rest of his life. He protected Namath from the brutal pass-rushers of the AFL months before. Namath was a Jets player for 136 games, with Hill as the left or right tackle in each one.Heather Hill, Heather's daughter, said that "they became the best friends." "As Joe got closer to him, the drinking story became more amazing and more funny."Namath was the most famous player on the 1968 Jets' Super Bowl winning squad. He was known for his ability to guarantee a win over the Baltimore Colts. But Hill was more loved than anyone. Hill was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection/AFL All-Star and started 174 games consecutively from 1963 through 1976. Matt Snell ran for 121 yards against the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Most of that was behind Hill, who was so dominant, Colts center Bill Curry once stated, "Winston Hill probably was the most valuable player in this game."Hill's teammates were annoyed for years, if not decades, that he was never given Hall of Fame consideration. After his death at the age 74, he finally made it to the expanded Centennial Class last year.Namath, who was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1985, said that "it's a very sentimental act because we all had a great love for Winston." He was a very special man. It meant so much for his family and his teammates.Winston never mentioned it. Winston never spoke about it. Winston was not that type of person. He didn't even talk about the Hall of Fame in private. When someone brought up the Hall of Fame, he would smile and then he'd stop smiling.Hill and Namath were together in turbulent times, when the Vietnam War was raging and racial tensions erupting across the country. Hill is quoted in Mark Kriegel’s biography "Namath" as saying that the team “reflected the racial tone” of the country. There were players from different regions who had different opinions.John Schmitt, a former Jets center, told ESPN that he only recalls one instance of racial tension in 1966. This prompted three Black players, Hill, Snell, and Sherman Plunkett, to call a team meeting. It was a "serious meeting," he said. The coaches were afraid to lose control.Namath said Hill was a "special man", as he is seen here with children at a Denver tennis camp in 1971. Denver Post via Getty ImagesHill was a good friend to everyone. Hill was the team chaplain. He was a gentle giant without ego. Although he was cool and collected, Schmitt said that he once got pissed off during a game. The guy was so beaten in the chest by him that his feet were up in the air.Hovlyn May spoke highly of her father, who was known for his big ears, big heart, and tight lips. He could memorize entire chapters of the Bible and complete scenes from William Shakespeare plays.Hill was exposed to racism as a child. Blacks were not allowed to play football in Gladewater, Texas near the Louisiana border. This was in the 1950s when segregation was widespread across the South. His father took action and reached out to predominantly Black schools and churches to create their own league. Winston was part of the Bumble Bees team.So began his football career. He went to Weldon High School, Texas Southern University (where his scholarship fund bears his name), to the Baltimore Colts, and was then drafted in the 11th round. His old Gladewater high school is still there. The wall mural now features Hill, who has gone from being an excluded child to a local legend. Hill donated a Super Bowl III replica to the trophy case.Namath was named Super Bowl MVP.Namath Hill and Hill were an odd couple, the playboy and the priest -- but they got along well. Namath was a fast-paced person, living in a fast world of TV commercials, movies and legendary nightlife. He appreciated Hill's consistent and humble nature. Namath and Hill had a great friendship. Black was his best friend growing up in Beaver Falls (PA), a blue-collar community known for its football talent. He didn't understand the difference between blacks and whites.Namath stated, "I'm grateful to the way that I was raised, because I never lost this respect." "I am frustrated that our country and the rest of the world continue to harbor anger and hatred towards people simply because they are different from me in color or religion. It's sadistic to have dag-gum ill will feelings and be disrespectful.Namath and Hill ended their professional careers in 1977 together. It was an unmemorable year for them as Los Angeles Rams players, but they kept in touch after their playing days. Although there were many phone calls and letters, the most important connection was Namath’s youth football camp which he co-led with John Dockery for over 40 years.Hill, his wife and children showed up every summer to serve as counselors. He had his quarterback's back even in retirement. It was an annual vacation to rural Connecticut. Namath, Hill, and their teammates taught football to children, while family members enjoyed the summer camp atmosphere.Hill was with the Jets for 14 seasons, 12 of which were spent protecting Namath's blindside. Namath also finished his career in 1977 with the Los Angeles Rams. Focus on Sport via Getty ImagesHeather Hill stated that she grew up with many uncles, and Joe Namath was always a part of the experience, both during and after football.Hill, who moved to Colorado in 2016, died two years after his wife Carolyn. He opened Winston's Smoke BBQ, Centennial, Colorado, after playing football. He was a skilled motivational speaker who devoted his time to helping the underserved. Hill was two-time Hall-of-Fame, having been inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame last fall.Schmitt, Hill's former linemate, called it a "disgrace" that Hill took so long to be enshrined at Canton. This was April for Centennial Class members, who will be honored this weekend by the Class of '21. Heather, a talented singer, will deliver the national anthem. His daughters will also be present in Canton.Namath, now 78, has stopped drinking. He will toast the recognition of his friend, Namath, in his own way.He said, "There's an everlasting, joyful feeling in the soul of my body, and I'm grateful." I can see his face. He and Carolyn can both see me now. He smiles with humbity no matter what the next level may be."
