Early life Roy Hilton was born March 23, 1943, in
Hazlehurst, Mississippi, a town of about 3,100 people located in the southwestern part of the state. He attended Parrish High School.
College career After graduation from high school, Hilton enrolled at
Utica Junior College in
Utica, Mississippi. He transferred to
Jackson State College in the spring of 1963, in time for fall football season. Hilton received a
bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Jackson State in 1965.
Professional career Baltimore Colts Hilton was selected in both the
1965 National Football League draft and the
1965 American Football League draft — chosen by the NFL's
Baltimore Colts in the 15th round with the 210th overall pick and by the AFL's
Houston Oilers in the 8th round with that draft's 59th pick. He elected to sign with the Colts, inking a deal for the
1965 NFL season in mid-February. — although the team saw his potential and made a spot on the roster for him as a special teams player. He saw action in all 14 games for the Colts in 1965 and
1966. In the
1967 season he was able to work into starting role at left defensive end, hearing his name called as a starter in 8 of the team's 14 games that year. The 1968 season would be an important one for the Colts, who would win the
1968 NFL Championship Game before suffering an upset defeat in
Super Bowl III at the hands of
Joe Namath and the upstart
New York Jets of the AFL. Although with the retirement of
Ordell Braase he found himself a permanent place as starting right defensive end for the Colts in
1969, After the game, Colts head coach
Don McCafferty walked up to Hilton, embraced him, and whispered the single word, "Thanks." a sixth round selection in the
1975 NFL draft. Some observers speculated that the trade may have been related to the new front office regime in Baltimore, with new owner
Robert Irsay's general manager
Joe Thomas rapidly emptying the roster of players obtained under owner
Carroll Rosenbloom. With Hilton's departure, only three players remained in blue-and-white from Colts teams before 1972. As the Giants made their final cuts for the
1975 NFL season, the 32-year old Roy Hilton's name was on the list. Though of little consolation, joining Hilton on the Giants' chopping block was his former Colts teammate
Jim O'Brien, the placekicking wide receiver who was the hero of Super Bowl V. Hilton was surprised by the Giants' decision to release him. "I came to camp in the best condition of my life, ready to have the best season of my life," Hilton said. "It was kind of a shocker, especially being waived. I had figured they would go with youth, but I thought that meant I would be traded, not cut outright."
Atlanta Falcons A landing spot was found with the
Atlanta Falcons, who cut veteran defensive lineman
Rosie Manning to make room on the roster for Hilton. The Falcons would go into a tailspin, however, dropping their next five games in a row, en route to a record of 4–10, with the defense receiving its share of the blame. Throughout the season, Hilton played a reserve role, starting only one game of the losing campaign. On September 7, 1976, youth won out. Hilton was waived by the Atlanta Falcons to make way for
Jim Bailey, a 28-year old reserve defensive lineman last with the
Cleveland Browns, and a former defensive line teammate in the early '70s on the Colts. Roy Hilton's NFL career was at an end.
Life after football After retiring from football in 1975, Hilton became a security guard for
Johns Hopkins University, a job he held for twenty years. He was married to Marie Hilton for 53 years. He suffered several physical ailments which may have been associated with his time in football, including three surgeries for
knee replacement — two on his left knee and one on his right — as well as
gout,
arthritis, and the
Alzheimer's disease and
dementia that would ultimately kill him.
Death and legacy Hilton died in 2019 at the age of 75; he had dementia in his later years. His grandson,
Brandon Copeland, went on to play linebacker in the NFL for five NFL teams over a 10 season career. An NFL champion in 1968 and Super Bowl champion for the 1970 season, Hilton is remembered for his consistency and hard work on the field. Colts All-Pro offensive tackle
Bob Vogel, who frequently lined up opposite Hilton in practice, was particularly gratified for the work Hilton put in. Shortly before Hilton's death Vogel told him: "I want to thank you for playing a part in whatever success I had. As the league's smallest tackle, my technique had to be good, and I attribute that to you. You stayed out there and worked with me, and I am grateful." ==References==