Countdown to the season opener: Day 52 Calvin Hill

We’re counting down to the season opener (Day 52) with some Cowboys history

We’re counting down the days until the Dallas Cowboys battle the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener of the 2025 NFL season. To pass the time and mark the days, we running through 100 Days of Cowboys. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football.

Today – number 52.

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Calvin Hill

Born: January 2, 1947. Baltimore, Maryland
Position: Running back
Dallas Cowboys: 1969-1974

Awards: Super Bowl champion- VI
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year- 1969
All-Pro- 1969, 1973
Pro Bowl– 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974

Photo by Shelly Katz /Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Calvin Hill played running back for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 to 1974, becoming the team’s first-ever 1,000-yard rusher and a key offensive contributor during the early years of the franchise’s success. Drafted in the first round out of Yale, Hill broke stereotypes about Ivy League players and quickly proved himself as a tough, versatile back with both power and speed. He was a four-time Pro Bowler with the Cowboys and helped lead the team to Super Bowl VI, where they secured their first championship.

Best known for:
Hill was best known for being the first true star running back in Cowboys history, setting the standard for future backs with multiple 1,000-yard seasons and helping Dallas emerge as a championship contender in the 1970s.

Lesser known fact:
After retiring, Hill became one of the NFL’s early advocates for player mental health and development, serving in advisory roles focusing on mentoring younger and troubled players.