Harlon Hill Endowed Scholarship

This endowed scholarship was established to honor Harlon Hill. A native of Killen, AL, Hill played football and graduated from UNA (then Florence State Teachers College) with a bachelor of science degree in education in 1955. Hill was drafted by the Chicago Bears and became the first recipient of the Jim Thorpe Trophy as the NFL Most Valuable Player. In all, Hill played nine seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Detroit Lions. Following his professional football career, Hill because a public school teacher and coach at Brooks High School in Killen, eventually becoming the school’s principal. In 1986 the NCAA named its Division II College Football Player of the Year award the Harlon Hill Trophy in his honor. Hill was inducted into the Lauderdale County Sports Hall of Fame, the Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. This scholarship shall be awarded to the University’s top student athlete during senior his/her year. The recipient must plan to attend graduate or professional school.