Darry Hill - Breaking the Color Barrier: Michael Valliant

Darryl Hill: Breaking the Color Barrier at University of Maryland

Part 1 by Michael Valliant

Imagine having to ride disguised in an Army bus to play in a college football game. Or being told someone is waiting with a highpowered rifle for you to come out on the field. How about having to drive more than an hour to practice because they wouldn’t let you on the practice field at the stadium? Or your mother being told she couldn’t attend your game because there were no Blacks allowed? This was the experience Darryl Hill had playing football for the University of Maryland as the first African American to play Division I football south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Hill played at Maryland from 1962 to 1965 and is in the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame.

Darryl A Hill (#31). Gonzaga star with mother, Palestine Hill, and father, Kermit Hill. Hill ran 85 yards for a touchdown on the kick off to help Gonzaga to win against St. John’s. Photograph was taken at Griffith Stadium, Washington DC • Nov. 22, 1959 51

Darryl Hill College High School, becoming the first Black player at Gonzaga and

Today, University of Maryland’s graduating in 1960. He was named Jones-Hill House, the state-of-the- the city’s co-player of the year. His art Cole Field House facility that mother hoped he would attend a houses Maryland’s football pro- service academy, though Darryl gram, is named for Darryl and for was too young, playing football in Billy Jones, the first Black basket- his senior year at 15 years old and ball player at Maryland. Darryl’s graduating when he was 16. playing days there tell the story Darryl attended college at Xavier behind the honor. University on a football scholar Darryl grew up in Northeast ship. After a year, a letter changed Washington, DC. His father, Ker- that. He received a letter from the mit Hill, had a trucking company, White House telling him he had and his mother, Palestine Hill, been appointed as a midshipman at was an educator and public school the Naval Academy. It was signed teacher in DC. Darryl is their old- by President John F. Kennedy est child. When Darryl got to the Naval

Maryland wasn’t the first place Academy, he was among hundreds that Darryl broke the color barrier asked to try out for the football ~ he did the same thing at Gonzaga team. He met another promising

Darryl had his fans, even as a young child! 54

young player, a quarterback who could throw the ball all over the field. The two admired each other’s skills. The quarterback was named Roger Staubach, who would go on to become a Hall of Fame quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys.

“At first, I called him ‘Jolly Roger,’ but after watching him play, I changed his nickname to ‘Roger the Dodger,” Hill said. That nickname stuck with Staubach throughout his playing career.

While playing for Navy, Darryl played against the University of Maryland, and he played well. And then he got a call from Lee Corso, Maryland’s freshman coach. He wanted Darryl to play for them.

“Coach, I think you forgot that

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