Mack Lee Hill Award
circa 1965
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| No. 36 | |||
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| Position: | Fullback | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth: | August 17, 1940 | ||
| Place of birth: | Quincy, Florida | ||
| Date of death: | December 14, 1965 (aged 25) | ||
| Place of death: | Kansas City, Missouri | ||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Quincy (FL) Carter-Parramore | ||
| College: | Southern | ||
| Undrafted: | 1964 | ||
| Career history | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||
| Player stats at NFL.com |
Mack Lee Hill (August 17, 1940 – December 14, 1965) was an American football player, a running back at Southern University and for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs for two seasons (1964–65). He died suddenly after undergoing knee surgery, two days after a game against the Buffalo Bills.
Born and raised in Quincy, Florida, Hill made the Chiefs' roster in 1964 as a rookie free agent out of Southern University in New Orleans, signing for only $300, with an agreement he would only be paid he made the lineup. He wound up as the team's second-leading rusher that season with 567 yards and four touchdowns on 105 carries. Hill 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 in knee surgery after the 12th game. He was nicknamed "The Truck."
Hill tore a ligament in his right knee in the regular season's penultimate game against the Bills on December 12, forcing him to undergo season-ending surgery on that knee two days later at Menorah Medical Center in Kansas City. He was still on the operating table when his temperature suddenly spiked to 108 °F (42 °C), triggering severe convulsions, and he died 1½ hours after surgery. Doctors said he suffered a "sudden and massive embolism."
Team doctor Albert R. Miller said the embolism could have been caused by a fat globule breaking off and entering the bloodstream, or it could have been triggered by a severe reaction to the anesthesia.
Head coach Hank Stram said, "Mark Lee Hill was a fine gentleman and a great football player. He was probably one of the most unselfish players I have ever coached. He was completely dedicated to the team. Football was his life."
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