King Hill - QB/P

King Hill was the Eagles' backup quarterback for 8 seasons (1961-68) but only started more than 4 games once (6 in 1963), He was also their punter from 1961-63, and shared the punting with Sam Baker after that.

When we Philadelphia-area kids were playing backyard football in the late 1960s, someone always wanted to be King Hill. Why? I guess because no one liked Eagles' starting QB Norm Snead, and "King Hill" was a cool name, so... yeah...


Hill was the #1 overall draft pick in 1958 (by the Chicago Cardinals). How did he become a career backup (for the 1960s' Eagles, no less)?

After riding the bench in 1958 behind veteran Lamar McHan and fellow rookie QB M.C. Reynolds in '58, Hill started 10 games for the Cards in 1959, but returned to the bench for all but 1 game in 1960.

After the retirement of starting QB Norm Van Brocklin, the Eagles traded a first-round pick to acquire Hill before the 1961 season.  Sonny Jurgensen would be the starting QB for the next 3 seasons, relegating Hill to punting chores only (and a rare 6 starts at QB in 1963).

Jurgensen was swapped for Norm Snead after 1963, but Hill would remain the team's #2 quarterback for the rest of his Eagles' career.

Midway through the 1968 season, he was traded to the Vikings for a 3rd-round pick that would become safety Bill Bradley. Hill didn't see any QB action with the Vikings, but took over the punting chores from tight end Billy Martin.

King returned to the Cardinals for the 1969 season (as a punter only, since they had Charley Johnson and Jim Hart in the house) then retired after the season.

He was later a coach for the Oilers and Saints, and a scout for the Eagles.

Hill passed away in 2012 at age 75.

Here are King Hill's 1962 and 1964 cards, and also 3 custom cards that I purchased from RetroCards ('63, '65, '66).


Where's Waldo King?