Mack Lee Hill (August 17, 1940 – December 14, 1965) was an American college and professional football player. He played running back at Southern University and for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs for two seasons (1964–65), before dying while undergoing knee surgery, days after a game against the Buffalo Bills.
He made the Chiefs' roster in 1964 as a rookie free agent out of Southern and wound up as the team's second-leading rusher that season with 567 yards and four touchdowns on 105 carries. He played in the AFL All-Star Game after his rookie campaign. He gained 627 yards, second-most on the team, in 1965, even though he did not complete the season, dying after the 12th game. He was nicknamed "The Truck." His number 36 is retired.
Through Hill's inspiration, the Chiefs created the Mack Lee Hill Award, which is given each season to the team's most outstanding rookie.
He had a son, Marzell Hill.
Famous quotes containing the words lee and/or hill:
“O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!”
—Katharine Lee Bates (1859–1929)
“For most of the guys killings got to be accepted. Murder was the only way everybody stayed in line. You got out of line, you got whacked. Everybody knew the rules.”
—Nicholas Pileggi, U.S. screenwriter, and Martin Scorsese. Henry Hill (Ray Liotta)