Yesterday, we shined the spotlight on one of Arizona State's more recent star wide receivers, Jaelen Strong, and made the case that he's the best receiver in program history. However, one name that absolutely has something to say about that is today's featured player. With 20 days until kickoff, let's relive the legacy of JD Hill.
Born and raised in California, Hill was a standout athlete in three different sports: track & field, baseball, and football. He was looking for a college that would allow him to try all three, as he had love for all three sports. Apparently, Sun Devil head coach Frank Kush was the one willing to accept those terms.
Hill arrived in Tempe at a time when Arizona State was going through a bit of a rough patch. Kush's early success had helped elevate the program from the Border Conference to the more prestigious WAC. In the first three seasons in the new conference, Arizona State was 23-5-1, twice finishing the year ranked in the Top 25.
However, the program had fallen on hard times. In 1965, they finished 6-4 with blowout losses to BYU and Utah State. The next year, they dropped to 5-5, the first time Kush had ever had a season end without a winning record.
Landing a player of Hill's elite athleticism was part of the solution. As a true freshman, Hill only saw work as a punt returner, but he shined. Hill averaged 10.1 yards per punt return, routinely gave the offense great field position, and even brought one back for a touchdown. The Sun Devils also finished the year 8-2 and were back in the Top 25 at season's end.
While Arizona State would repeat that record the next year, Hill struggled. Balancing three sports at once proved to be difficult, and Hill didn't perform as well when he got on the field. It led to his decision to step away from football for the 1969 season, focusing instead on baseball and track.
As it turned out, Hill excelled in both. He lettered in both sports, and to this day he remains the only male athlete in school history to letter in three different sports.
As good as he was, though, Hill realized that he loved football too much to not play it, and he returned in 1970. With a renewed focus, Hill exploded onto the scene, racking up 1,009 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on just 61 catches. He was the go-to weapon for a Sun Devil offense that finished a perfect 11-0, beating North Carolina in the Peach Bowl.
With just one season of consistent production, Hill had done enough to impress NFL scouts. He was selected fourth overall by the Buffalo Bills, making him the second-highest drafted player in Arizona State football history. He made the Pro Bowl in his second season, and was a key contributor for the Bills teams of the 70's.
Hill's tenure at Arizona State is a bit odd, given the nature of it all, but his athleticism and senior year production separates him from the rest. Is he the greatest wide receiver this program has ever seen? On a pure talent level, perhaps. Regardless of where he falls in that debate, though, Hill is an all-time great who unquestionably belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Sun Devil receivers.