College basketball player. At five foot, ten inches, he played guard on the Texas Western College men's basketball team that won the 1966 College Basketball NCAA title. Along with teammates Harry Flournoy, Nevil Shed, Dave "Big Daddy" Lattin, and Willie Worsley, they were the first all-African American starting five to win the NCAA tournament, defeating the top-ranked and favored University of Kentucky Wildcats team (coached by the legendary Adolph Rupp) 72 to 65 on March 19, 1966. Considered one of the "flashiest" players on the team, he and the entire Texas Western squad endured racial threats, insults, vandalism, and violence throughout the 1965-1966 season. Despite this, the team, coached by Don Haskins, achieved a 28-1 regular season record and defeated Oklahoma City College, the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Kansas to reach the title game against Kentucky. In the first half of that game, Bobby Joe Hill made two easy layups from back-to-back steals off of Tommy Kron and Louie Dampier, and he led all players with 20 points. The 1966 title game is considered to be one of the most historic events in the history of college basketball because it led to the end of racial segregation among college basketball teams. After Bobby Joe Hill's college career ended, he stayed in El Paso and eventually retired as an executive with El Paso Natural Gas. He died of a heart attack in 2002 at age 59. The story of Bobby Joe Hill and the 1966 Texas Western national championship has been immortalized in the 2006 motion picture "Glory Road". Texas Western College is now known University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).
College basketball player. At five foot, ten inches, he played guard on the Texas Western College men's basketball team that won the 1966 College Basketball NCAA title. Along with teammates Harry Flournoy, Nevil Shed, Dave "Big Daddy" Lattin, and Willie Worsley, they were the first all-African American starting five to win the NCAA tournament, defeating the top-ranked and favored University of Kentucky Wildcats team (coached by the legendary Adolph Rupp) 72 to 65 on March 19, 1966. Considered one of the "flashiest" players on the team, he and the entire Texas Western squad endured racial threats, insults, vandalism, and violence throughout the 1965-1966 season. Despite this, the team, coached by Don Haskins, achieved a 28-1 regular season record and defeated Oklahoma City College, the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Kansas to reach the title game against Kentucky. In the first half of that game, Bobby Joe Hill made two easy layups from back-to-back steals off of Tommy Kron and Louie Dampier, and he led all players with 20 points. The 1966 title game is considered to be one of the most historic events in the history of college basketball because it led to the end of racial segregation among college basketball teams. After Bobby Joe Hill's college career ended, he stayed in El Paso and eventually retired as an executive with El Paso Natural Gas. He died of a heart attack in 2002 at age 59. The story of Bobby Joe Hill and the 1966 Texas Western national championship has been immortalized in the 2006 motion picture "Glory Road". Texas Western College is now known University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).
Bio by: Loren
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