Henry Hill ( American football ) Henry Hill ( born c . 1949 ) is a former American football player . He played at the defensive guard position as a walk - on for the University of Michigan from 1968 to 1970 . He was chosen as the co - captain and Most Valuable Player on the 1970 Michigan Wolverines football team and a first - team All - American that same year . Early years . A native of Detroit , Michigan , Hill is the youngest child in a family of five boys and two girls . He attended Detroit ' s Martin Luther King High School where he played football at the tight end position . University of Michigan . Walk - on status . Because of his size , Hill was not heavily recruited by major college teams . Interviewed in 1970 , Hill recalled , " I was a tight end in high school and I didn ' t get many scholarship offers because my size was marginal . You don ' t see too many 5 - 10 tight ends around . " Hill enrolled at the University of Michigan on a Michigan Opportunity Grant , a scholarship offered to under - privileged students with strong academic backgrounds . Interviewed by a reporter from the UPI in 1969 , Hill said , " It ' s an academic scholarship . One of those kind they give to ghetto kids . My family was too poor to send me to school . " Hill tried out for the Michigan football team at the invitation of George Mans , Michigan ' s offensive ends coach . He recalled that , during his try - out , they threw a ball to him , and the ball bounced off his head , resulting in his being converted into a lineman . He played briefly for Michigan ' s freshman football team in 1967 but quit mid - way through the season to concentrate on his studies . 1968 season . In the spring of 1968 , Hill tried out for Michigan ' s varsity football team . He made the cut and was listed as a fourth - string defensive lineman at the conclusion of spring practice . Damer recalled , " I just stuck it out , figuring I ' d get to play some . " By the time the 1968 football season began , Hill had been promoted to second - string status . The coaching staff was impressed by Hill ' s quickness , and he played in all 10 games for the 1968 team , including 7 games as the starting middle guard . His rise in 1968 from the fourth - string to starter was so rapid that his picture did not appear in the team ' s 1968 game program . The " Toledo Blade " in October 1968 ran a feature story on Hill and noted : " At 5 - 10 , 200 pounds , Henry isn ' t big enough to play to play Big 10 football . Try telling that to Henry . . . . Hill is a walk - on ( non - scholarship ) who made it big for the Wolverines . He ' s small , but he is tough , and he loves to play football . " Hill finished the 1968 season as one of Michigan ' s statistical leaders on defense with 72 tackles , including 50 solo tackles and 16 tackles for loss . 1969 season . In 1969 , Hill started all 11 games for the Wolverines at the middle guard position on defense and also started three games as a guard on offense . He led the team with 90 tackles during the 1969 season . Hill was routinely double - teamed in 1969 and 1970 . Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler said of Hill , " I don ' t think any team in the country can adequately contain Hill with one - on - one blocking . " Hill expressed frustration at being double - teamed , but recognized its value to the team : " Sometimes , I ' m even getting triple - teamed on the pass rush . But that ' s got to help our defense so it ' s okay with me . If they do that , it leaves eight or nine men to play offense and we have ten men to play defense . " Hill was named United Press International ' s Midwest Lineman of the Week after recording nine solo tackles and two assists against Minnesota in 1969 . Following the game , Hill explained to reporters " with a trace of incredulity " in his voice , " They didn ' t double team me . " In Michigan ' s rivalry game against Ohio State in 1969 , he had 13 tackles , leading " The Michigan Daily " to note that Hill had demonstrated to his Ohio State counterpart , All - American Jim Stillwagon , " just who is the best middle guard in the conference . " 1970 season . Hill was selected as the defensive captain for the 1970 Michigan Wolverines football team , serving as co - captain with quarterback Don Moorhead . He started all 10 games as the Wolverines middle guard on defense and accumulated 69 tackles , including 12 tackles for loss . At the end of the 1970 season , Hill was selected by his teammate as the team ' s Most Valuable Player along with Don Moorhead . He was also selected by the Central Press Association in 1970 as a first - team All - American and by the Associated Press as a second - team All - American . Reputation for quickness . Hill developed a reputation as one of the quickest players at his position , as reflected in the following comments from football reporters : When Bo Schembechler took over as Michigan ' s coach in 1969 , Hill acknowledged being " a little overweight " at 223 pounds . When Hill told the new coach he could run 40 yards in 4 . 6 seconds , Schembechler said , " Aw come on , you ' re kidding me . " To Schembechler ' s surprise , Hill proceeded to run the 40 in 4 . 6 seconds . Hill was not selected in the 1971 NFL Draft , and the omission of the " cat - quick " middle guard was reported as one of the " conspicuous absences from the draft lists . " Hill noted that he didn ' t expect to get drafted , although he added he would like a chance to become pro .