Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame
When Carl Hill arrived at Southwestern from South Side High School in 1972, he had leadership and success written all over him. He was bright, energetic, handsome, creative, athletic and fast. Oh, was Carl fast!
Known to his teammates in football as the “Hammer” for his physical style of play, Carl earned All-College Athletic Conference honors as a cornerback in 1974 and 1975. Each of those years the Lynx defense ranked in the top five in the country in total and scoring defense, and Carl Hill’s shutdown, pass-defense abilities were a big reason the Lynx were ranked so high.
It was Carl’s success on the track team that ranks him as one of Rhodes’ greatest sprinters. Amazingly, Carl’s time of 21.8 in the 220 still stands as a school record, as does his and his teammate’s mile relay time of 3:20.0. Carl qualified multiple times for the indoor and outdoor NCAA Division III National Championships, and earned All-American honors in 1975 in the 440-yard dash. Carl received the Freeman Marr Award in 1976 as the track team’s Most Valuable Performer.
Carl was the quintessential student-athlete and a campus leader. He served as Vice-President of Rhodes Student Government and Black Student Association. He was recognized by Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities in 1975-76. Omicron Delta Kappa named him their Sophomore Man of the Year and later tapped him for membership in the society.
Carl joins a select group of Rhodes student-athletes who have been inducted into both the Student and Athletic Halls of Fame. For his legacy he left student leaders and athletes, and for the records and awards he earned in track and football, we are proud to induct Carl Bernard Hill into the Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame this 20th day of October, 2006.
