In Response to “[Cleo] Hill’s jersey should be retired”
Andre Jenerson posted 3/16/08 @ 8:26 AM EST
I first heard of Coach Hill from my uncles, who won a state title at Central High School in Newark. They said he was the best of all time and they would go out to the playgrounds of Newark to witness his skills.
I played against Coach Hill son’s in high school and on the local playgrounds of East Orange and Orange.
The biggest break I received in life is when I enrolled at Essex County College. From 1986-1988 I played for, in my opinion, the greatest coach ever. Although Coach Hill developed me into a Junior College All-American as a player, he also prepared me for the challenges of life. Coach stressed academics which left an lasting impression on me. I’ve since went on to earn my bachelors and two masters degrees.
In my opinion it is a tragedy that Coach Hill’s jersey is not retired at not only Winston Salem State University, but also Newark Shabazz High School (then called Southside), and Essex County Junior College (where he won almost 500 games as a coach).
Coach Hill is a living legend. I’m honored to have played under his tutelage.
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