Bill Bradley was a three-time All-American at Princeton.

In honor of the upcoming NCAA “March Madness”, we recognize as the March Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month a former college basketball superstar who helped lift a college not known for its basketball prowess to unprecedented heights.

Bill Bradley embodied the true meaning of the term student-athlete. A Rhode scholar, Bradley was a three-time All-American at Princeton University and was the College Basketball Player of the Year as a senior in 1965.

Bradley originally was slated to attend Duke University, but after breaking his foot prior to his freshman year, he instead decided to attend Princeton.

As a sophomore during the 1962-63 season, Bradley earned first team All-American honors from The Sporting News and second team honors from the Associated Press while averaging 27 points per game. He helped lead Princeton to a 19-6 record and the Ivy League championship before losing a heartbreaker to St. Joseph’s 82-81 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

The following season, Bradley averaged more than 30 points per game and again led Princeton to the NCAA Tournament. Bradley was again named as an All-American and led the Tigers to a 20-9 record and a second straight Ivy League title. In the NCAA Tournament, they defeated Virginia Military Academy before falling to Connecticut 52-50 in the East Regional.

Following his junior season, Bradley was selected to the United State Olympic basketball team and helped the USA claim their sixth straight basketball gold medal.

As a senior, Bradley was the NCAA Player of the Year while again averaging more than 30 points per contest. The Tigers finished the season with a 23-6 record and were 13-1 in the Ivy League (with their lone defeat being by one point to Cornell).

In the NCAA Tournament, Princeton advanced to the Final Four with victories over Penn State, North Carolina State and Providence. They finally lost to Michigan in the semifinals.

They then defeated Wichita State 118-82 in the third place game with Bradley stunning the crowd with a 58 point performance that is still the most points ever scored by a player in a Final Four game.

In nine NCAA Tournament games, Bradley averaged 33.7 points, which still ranks as the second best career scoring average in NCAA Tournament history.

Bradley helped the Knicks to two NBA titles.

His 2,503 career points are nearly 1,000 points better than the second leading scorer in Princeton history (Christopher Mueller with 1,546 points) and he is the only player in school history to score 40 or more points in a game (he did it 11 times).

After graduation, Bradley chose not to immediately enter the NBA and instead accepted a Rhode Scholar appointment and spent two years studying at Oxford.

He joined the New York Knicks for the 1967-68 season and averaged eight points per game as the Knicks went 43-39 and advanced to the Eastern Division Semifinals.

During the 1969-70 season, Bradley averaged 14.5 points as the Knicks won their first NBA title.

His best season in the NBA was the 1972-73 season as he averaged 16.1 points per game and was named to the All-Star team for the only time in his career. The Knicks also claimed their second NBA title that season.

Though Bradley never reached offensive heights in the NBA that were near his college scoring prowess, he did have a solid ten year career for the Knicks. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.

After retiring in 1977, Bradley decided to run for the U.S> Senate and in 1978 was elected as a U.S. Senator from New Jersey.

He served 18 years in the Senate before deciding not to seek reelection in 1996. In 2000, Bradley ran for the Democratic Presidential nomination, but was unable to defeat Al Gore.

If you have a nominee for the Sports Then and Now Athlete of the Month, please e-mail dean@sportsthenandnow.com and we will consider your nomination.

Jim Craig

The February Sports Then and Now Athlete of the Month, was a crucial member of a squad that registered one of the most unexpected and memorable performances in Winter Olympic history.

Massachusetts native, Jim Craig was an integral part of the impossible dream and Olympic victory in Lake Placid, New York. February will mark the 30^th anniversary of the “Miracle On Ice” when the United States hockey team stunned the powerful Soviets and went on to capture the gold.

Craig played collegiate hockey at Boston University where he was an All-American goalie. In two seasons at BU, Craig posted a 29-4-2 record with a 3.65 GAA. He also helped the Terriers capture a NCAA championship in 1978.

After college, Jim Craig chose the US Olympic team over the NHL’s Atlanta Flames. His sick mother wanted him to play for his country and he kept that promise to her. Unfortunately, she succumbed to her illness and never got to see Jim play for the United States. For that reason, Craig was playing with a heavy heart.

Craig’s play in the Winter games in Lake Placid was nothing short of phenomenal. His amazing play in goal led the overachieving US squad to a 6-0-1 record as he registered a microscopic 2.14 GAA.

His defining moment was against the Soviet Union in the Olympic semi-finals. The Soviets embarrassed the US team a few weeks earlier, 10-3 in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden. The U.S.S.R had the best ice hockey team on the planet.

But not on this night.

The Soviets dominated most of the game by outshooting the Americans 42-16. Craig pushed away 39 of those shots and gave his upstart teammates a chance to scratch away.

Scratch and claw they did on route to a one of the biggest upsets in sports history. The US Olympic team comprised of amateurs beat the seasoned professional Soviet squad, 4-3.

Sports Illustrated said of Team USA’s win over the Soviet Union;

“It may just be the single most indelible moment in all of U.S. sports history. One that sent an entire nation into frenzy.”

Craig and his teammates did not lose focus of the task at hand. They still had a matchup against the Fins for the Gold. Jim Craig kept his stellar play and backstopped his team to a 4-2 victory. Against all odds, the US Men’s hockey team not only won the Gold medal, but inspired and help rally a deflated country.

After the Olympic Games, Jim Craig signed with the team that drafted him, the Atlanta Flames. He posted a win in his first NHL start. However, he would only play four games for the Flames before being traded to his hometown; Boston Bruins for two draft picks (one who became long time Flames and Red Wings goalie, Mike Vernon).

In Boston, Craig didn’t have much of an impact. He started just 23 games for the Bruins with 9-7-6 record

Jim Craig played for the Boston Bruins during the '80-'81 season.

before Rogie Vachon and Marco Baron took over the goalkeeping duties for good. Jim Craig was sent to the minors.

In 1982, Jim Craig would make a return to the US national team where he played 26 games. He would impress his former Olympic teammate, Neal Broten who was playing for the Minnesota North Stars at the time. Broten pushed the front office and Craig was given a contract by Minnesota in 1983.

Due to injury, Craig would only play 3 games for the North Stars. Jim Craig would never play hockey again.

Jim Craig’s impact on US hockey is immeasurable. Since his retirement, Craig has been enshrined in the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame, the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame, the United State Hockey Hall of Fame, and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.

Jim Craig still resides in his hometown of North Easton, Massachusetts. He works as a successful businessman and motivational speaker. He has helped inspire and instruct employees from over 300 corporations including Coca Cola, Bayer, Dunkin’ Donuts, Walt Disney, and John Hancock.

Wilbert Montgomery

As we prepare for the NFL Playoffs, we remember as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month a running back that enjoyed a tremendous playoff run to lead his team to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance.

Though only 5-foot-10, Wilbert Montgomery was a workhorse running back during his career playing primarily for the Philadelphia Eagles.

A sixth round choice in the 1977 NFL Draft out of Abilene Christian University, Montgomery saw action primarily as a kick returner during his rookie year, but he gained 103 yards as the Eagles defeated the New York Jets 27-0 in the final game of the regular season.

That performance proved to be the prelude to a great streak for both Montgomery and the Eagles.

In 1978 Montgomery moved into the starting lineup and earned his first Pro Bowl trip by rushing for 1,220 yards with an average of 4.7 yards per attempt. The Eagles posted a 9-7 record and reached the playoffs for the first time in 18 years.

The following season, the Eagles finished with an 11-5 record and Montgomery was one of the best running backs in the league. He rushed for a career-high 1,512 yards to rank fourth in the NFL. He also caught 41 passes for 494 yards and led the NFL with 2,006 yards from scrimmage.

Injuries hampered Montgomery during the 1980 regular season as he played in only 12 games and rushed for 778 yards while catching 50 passes. Even with Montgomery missing significant action, the Eagles finished with a 12-4 record to win the NFC East Division and the top seed in the NFC Playoffs.

By the time the playoffs came along, Montgomery was healthy and ready to help the Eagles advance through the playoffs. He rushed for 74 yards and two touchdowns in an opening round victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

In the NFC Championship Game, he rushed for a record 194 yards as the Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys 20-7 to advance to their first Super Bowl. Montgomery opened the scoring with a 42-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and also had a 55-yard run in the game.

The Eagles lost the Super Bowl to the Oakland Raiders, but Montgomery had 44 yards rushing and 91 yards receiving in the game.

Montgomery registered the third 1,000-yard season of his career in 1981 as he gained 1,402 yards rushing. He also caught 49 passes for 521 yards. The Eagles finished with a 10-6 record to make the playoffs for the fourth straight season. However, they lost to the New York Giants in their only playoff game.

In the strike-shortened 1982 season, Montgomery rushed for 515 yards, but the Eagles finished with a 3-6 record to miss the playoffs.

After injuries limited him to only five games in 1983, Montgomery rebounded in 1984 to rush for 789 yards and catch a career-high 60 passes for 501 yards.

Montgomery finished his career with the Detroit Lions in 1985.

For his career, Montgomery gained 6,789 yards rushing, which ranked 14th in NFL history at the time of his retirement. He also caught 273 passes for 2,502 yards and scored 58 career touchdowns.

Interestingly, Wilbert was one of four brothers to play college or professional football. The most notable of the brothers was Cleo, who played six years in the NFL and earned a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1984.

Since his retirement, Montgomery has developed into a successful NFL assistant coach. He was the running back coach for the St. Louis Rams during their championship run in the late 1990s. He is currently the running back coach for the Baltimore Ravens.

Each month you can help decide which former sports great is recognized as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month by nominating your favorite athletes from the past. If you would like one of your favorites of the past to be honored as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month, please send me you nomination by e-mail.

A Look at Montgomery’s Touchdown Run Against the Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game:

Rick Barry

The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month was not only one of professional basketball’s most prolific scorers of his era, he also is the father of four boys who all went on to play college and professional basketball, and was a lock for sports betting.

From the day Rick Barry joined the NBA with the San Francisco Warriors following his college career with the Miami Hurricanes, there was little doubt that he was a special player. As a rookie during the 1965-66 season, Barry averaged 25.7 points to rank fourth in the league in scoring and earn league Rookie of the Year honors.

The following season, he solidified his place as an NBA superstar by scoring 38 points to win MVP honors at the NBA All-Star Game. He went on to lead the league with an average of 35.6 points per game, which is still the eighth best single season mark in league history.

The Warriors reached the NBA Finals during the 1966-67 season, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in the finals. Barry scored 55 points in game three and averaged 40.8 points in the six game series.

Barry seemed destined to be one of the NBA’s all-time greats, but a contract dispute with the Warriors led him to jump to the Oakland Oaks of the rival American Basketball Association (ABA).

After being forced by the courts to sit out the 1967-68 season, Barry joined the Oaks for the 1968-69 season. He was averaging 34 points per game when he suffered a torn knee ligament and played in only 35 games.

Despite his unorthodox "Granny" style shot, Rick Barry ranks fifth all-time in free throw percentage having converted 89.3% of his attempts.

Even without Barry, the Oaks won the ABA Championship. However, poor attendance led them to move to Washington where they spent the 1969-70 season as the Washington Caps. Barry initially refused to make the move to Washington, but was eventually forced to play and averaged 27.7 points in 52 games.

The Caps became the Virginia Squires after one season, but Barry never suited up for the Squires. He was traded to the New York Nets in September 1970 and spent the next two seasons with the Nets. He averaged 29.4 points in 59 games during the 1970-71 season and then ranked second in the league with an average of 31.5 points per contest while playing in 80 games the following season.

In a resolution of the initial contract dispute Barry had with the San Francisco Warriors, in June 1972 a circuit court ruled that following the conclusion of his contract with the New York Nets the only basketball team that Barry could play for would be the Warriors (now known as the Golden State Warriors).  He was released by the Nets in October 1972 and soon returned to the NBA for the first time in five years.

Though knee injuries had taken their toll on Barry, he was still one of the most prolific scorers in the league. After averaging 22.3 and 25.1 points in his first two seasons back in the NBA, he eclipsed the 30-point mark for the fourth and final time in his career with an average of 30.6 points during the 1974-75 season.

In the 1975 NBA Finals, Barry and the Warriors produced one of the most shocking upsets in league history as they swept the Washington Bullets to win the championship. The Bullets had won 60 games in the regular season, compared to just 48 for the Warriors. Barry averaged 28.2 points per game in the playoffs and was named the MVP of the finals.

He spent three more seasons with the Warriors before completing his career with a pair of seasons as a member of the Houston Rockets.

Barry played 14 total seasons, 10 in the NBA and four in the ABA. He averaged 23.2 points per game in the NBA and 30.5 while playing in the ABA. Overall, he scored 25,279 career points and averaged 24.8 points per game. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987.

Following his playing career, Barry had a number of high profile opportunities as a basketball broadcaster, but his reputation for negative and controversial comments eventually limited his broadcasting career.

Three of his four sons, Jon, Drew and Brent, enjoyed successful NBA careers. The fourth, Scooter, played on the 1988 NCAA Champions as a member of the Kansas Jayhawks and went on to play in the Continental Basketball Association. Brent played on a pair of NBA Championship teams with the San Antonio Spurs, making Rick and Brent only the second father-son duo ever to both play on NBA Championship squads.

Each month you can help decide which former sports great is recognized as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month by nominating your favorite athletes from the past. Mike D’Antonio nominated Rick Barry to be this month’s pick. If you would like one of your favorites of the past to be honored as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month, please send me you nomination by e-mail.

Tom Seaver

The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week was the staff ace on a team that pulled one of the greatest upsets in baseball history 40 years ago.

“Tom Terrific” Seaver won the first of his three career Cy Young Awards in 1969 and won a crucial game in the World Series as the New York Mets captivated the nation by winning the 1969 World Series over the seemingly invincible Baltimore Orioles.

Greatness was expected of Seaver following his college career at the University of Southern California. The Los Angeles Dodgers originally drafted Seaver in 1965, but they refused to meet his demand of a $70,000 contract.

The following spring, Seaver was drafted first by the Atlanta Braves and signed with the squad, but Baseball Commissioner William Eckert voided the contract. Eventually, Seaver’s rights were awarded to the New York Mets.

After just one minor league season, Seaver joined the Mets in 1967 and was named to the All-Star team while earning National League Rookie of the Year honors.

By 1969, Seaver was the established ace of a talented pitching staff that also included Jerry Koosman, Gary Gentry, Nolan Ryan and Tug McGraw.

He won his final 10 regular season decisions in 1969 as the Mets rallied to win the National League East. He finished the season with a 25-7 record and 2.21 ERA.

After winning his only start in the NL Championship Series, ironically against the Braves, Seaver started the opening game of the 1969 World Series. He lost the game 4-1, but came back in game four to allow just six hits in 10 innings and record the 2-1 victory.

Sports Illustrated honored Seaver as their Sportsman of the Year in 1969.

Seaver recorded four additional 20+ victory seasons for the Mets and twice led the National League in ERA.

Ironically, Seaver earned his second Cy Young Award in a season during which he won only 19 games. In 1973 Seaver led the NL with a 2.08 ERA and also had a league-best 251 strikeouts as the Mets returned to the World Series.

He also was named the Cy Young winner in 1975 when he went 22-9 with a 2.38 earned run average.

Traded to the Cincinnati Reds during the middle of the 1977, Seaver finished that season with 21 victories in what would be his final 20+ victory season.

He spent five and a half years with the Reds. In 1981, Seaver was second in the NL Cy Young voting as he registered a 14-2 record with a 2.54 ERA in the strike-shortened campaign.

Seaver eclipsed the 300-victory mark while with the Chicago White Sox in 1985. He finished his career with 311 wins and a 2.86 ERA.

In 1992, Seaver was selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame with a higher percentage of the ballots than any other player in the history of the Hall.

If you had a favorite athlete growing up that you would like to see featured as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week, send me a nomination by e-mail.

Darrell Waltrip

In recognition of NASCAR’s current battle for the Sprint Cup Championship, we recognize as the Sports Then and Now Athlete of the Week a popular driver who won the championship three times during his career.

Though now recognized by a generation of NASCAR fans for his colorful commentary, Darrell Waltrip was one of NASCAR’s more colorful and outspoken stars during his nearly 30 year career. Nicknamed “Jaws” by Cale Yarborough, Waltrip was notorious for his trash talking and flamboyant personality.

He joined the Winston Cup Series in 1972, but didn’t earn his first victory until 1975 when he won at Nashville and Richmond. His seventh place finish in points during 1975 started a string of 15 straight years where Waltrip finished in the top 10 in points and won at least one race.

In 1981, Waltrip won 12 out of 31 races to claim his first Winston Cup title. The following year he duplicated both his victory total of 12 and his Cup Championship.

He nearly made it three titles in a row, but finished 47 points behind Bobby Allison in 1983 despite finishing in the top five in 22 out of 30 races.

After placing fifth in the standings in 1984, Waltrip regained the Winston Cup title in 1985 while registering more than a million dollars in winnings for the first time in his career.

In 1986 Waltrip finished second in the standings for the third time in his career. He registered six victories and finished fourth in points in 1989.

A polarizing figure for much of his career, Waltrip started to gain in popularity later in his career and in 1989 and 1990 was selected as the Most Popular Driver in NASCAR.

In 1990, he crashed during practice for the Pepsi 400 and suffered a broken leg and a concussion. He missed six races and finished 20th in points. It marked the first year since 1974 that Waltrip didn’t win a race.

Waltrip rebounded in 1991 to win twice and finish eighth in the Winston Cup Standings. The following year he claimed three victories, finished in the top five 10 times and placed ninth in the points standings.

After having won earlier in the 1992 season at Pocono, Waltrip claimed consecutive victories late in the season at Bristol and Darlington. They would prove to be the final two wins of his career.

Following a 13th place finishing in the standings in 1993, Waltrip put together a string of 40 straight races without a DNF and placed ninth in the Cup standings for 1994.

Despite racing for six more years, Waltrip recorded only six more top 5 and 16 top 10 finishes in Winston Cup races. He retired following the 2000 season.

Waltrip finished his career with 84 Winston Cup victories, which is tied with Bobby Allison for third all-time behind only Richard Petty and David Pearson.

Since 2001, Waltrip has served as the lead analyst for NASCAR races on Fox. He also has made appearances on television and in movies. He played the race analyst Darrell Cartrip in the 2006 movie Cars.

If you had a favorite athlete growing up that you would like to see featured as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week, send me a nomination by e-mail.

Clarke Hinkle

The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete is an all-time football great who was the NFL’s career rushing leader at the time of his retirement.

Considering that the NFL career rushing yardage record today stands at 18,355 yards, it might seem strange to know that when Clarke Hinkle retired in 1941 he was top runner in NFL history with 3,860 yards.

When the discrepancy in yardage numbers by Hinkle compared to modern players was pointed out to him more than 40 years after his retirement, the feisty Hall of Famer illustrated the hard-nosed mentality that made him great. He shot back that the modern players (the 1980s at the time of the exchange) had it easy and wouldn’t have anywhere near the statistics they were posting if they still had to play both ways and face tough guys like Bronko Nagurski on a regular basis.

The head-to-head battles between Hinkle and Nagurski, the star fullback and linebacker for the Chicago Bears, were highlights of the NFL of the 1930s.

Though Nagurski was 30 pounds heavier, Hinkle was determined to hold his own and the results were legendary.

Hinkle’s montra was “get to the Bronk before he gets to me,” a tactic best personified by one encounter in 1934. Trapped on the sidelines by Nagurski, Hinkle escaped his tackle by driving directly into and over the larger defender. The Bears’ superstar was helped from the field with a broken nose and a fractured rib.

In 10 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Hinkle earned first or second team every year as he excelled both as a fullback and as a linebacker.

Known for his power running style, Hinkle was an all-around standout. He could catch passes out of the backfield and was a solid blocker. He also was the punter and placekicker for the Packers.

Hinkle finished in the top 10 in rushing yards six times, including second in 1937 with a career-high 552 yards and five touchdowns. In 1938 he led the NFL with 58 points scored.

Led by Hinkle and fellow future Hall of Famers Arnie Herber and Don Hutson, the Packers won the NFL Championship in 1936 and 1939.

Hinkle was the all-time rushing leader for over a decade. He currently ranks 181st all-time in rushing yards.

He was a member of the second class for the Hall of Fame in 1964. Hinkle passed away in November 1988 at the age of 79.

If you had a favorite athlete growing up that you would like to see featured as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week, send me a nomination by e-mail.

William Andrews

The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week burst on the NFL scene 30 years ago with two great performances to start his career and spent five seasons as an elite runner before a devastating injury ended his career.

The Atlanta Falcons found one of the gems of the 1979 NFL Draft when they selected William Andrews in the third round of the draft out of Auburn University.

In his NFL debut, Andrews rushed for 167 yards to lead the Falcons to a 40-34 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The following week, he rushed for 121 yards as Andrews and St. Louis Cardinals rookie Ottis Anderson became the first rookies in NFL history to start their careers with consecutive 100-yard games.

Andrews went on to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark with 1,023 yards in 15 games.

The following season, Andrews was a key component as the Falcons registered a 12-4 record and won the NFC West. He earned the first of four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances while rushing for 1,308 yards and averaging 4.9 yards per carry.

In 1981, Andrews gained 1,301 yards and added a career-high 10 rushing touchdowns. A multi-purpose threat, Andrews ranked fourth in the NFL with 81 receptions for 735 yards. His 2,036 yards from scrimmage led the NFL.

Only the player’s strike of 1982 kept Andrews from continuing his streak of 1,000-yard seasons. In nine games, Andrews rushed for 573 yards and caught 42 passes for 503 yards.

The 1983 season proved to be the finest of his career as Andrews was second in the NFL with 1,567 yards rushing.  He also caught 59 passes for 609 yards. Overall, he finished second in the NFL with 2,176 yards from scrimmage.

Just when it looked like Andrews had reached his peak and would solidify a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame over the next several seasons, he suffered a serious knee injury in the 1984 preseason and missed the next two seasons.

When he returned in 1986, Andrews was only a shell of his former self and carried the ball only 52 times for 214 yards in 15 games.

He retired after the 1986 season with 5,986 rushing yards and an average of 4.6 yards per carry. At the time of his retirement, Andrews ranked 24th in NFL history in rushing yards. He still ranks 69th all-time on the NFL rushing list despite gaining most of his yards in just five seasons.

In recognition of his great career in Atlanta, the Falcons retired his number 31.

If you had a favorite athlete growing up that you would like to see featured as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week, send me a nomination by e-mail

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Evonne Goolagong

In recognition of the improbable U.S. Open run by Kim Clijsters, we honor as this week’s Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week a former women’s tennis great who accomplished a similar feat 29 years ago.

In 1980, Evonne Goolagong upset Tracy Austin and Chris Evert to claim the Wimbledon title and become the first woman in 66 years to claim the Wimbledon title after having a baby.

The first Australian Aboriginal athlete to have success in a sport other than soccer or boxing, Goolagong joined the professional circuit at age 18 in 1970. The following year she claimed both the French and Wimbledon titles and was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year.

In a decade where Chris Evert and Billie Jean King dominated the headlines, Goolagong actually set a record by appearing in 17 grand slam finals. From 1971 through 1976, she appeared in the finals in the finals in 16 of 24 majors.

Unfortunately, her record against the other top players was not stellar as she was 0-4 against King, 1-3 against fellow Australian Margaret Court and 1-3 against Evert during that period. She lost the U.S. Open final four straight years from 1973-1976.

In addition to her two grand slam titles in 1971, she won the Australian Open from 1974-1977.

In 1975 she married amateur tennis player Roger Cawley and in 1977, gave birth to her first child.

In 1978 she lost to Martina Navratilova, but in 1980 made her surprising run to her seventh grand slam title.

Goolagong-Cawley gave birth to her second child in 1981 and retired from professional tennis in 1983. She finished her career with 68 singles titles and nine doubles crowns. In addition to her seven grand slam singles titles, she also won six grand slam doubles titles and one mixed doubles grand slam title.

If you had a favorite athlete growing up that you would like to see featured as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week, send me a nomination by e-mail.

Calvin Hill

With the NFL season starting this week we recognize as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week a player who was the NFL Rookie of the Year 40 years ago and went on to a successful 12-year career.

Many were surprised when the Dallas Cowboys used the 24th pick in the 1969 draft to select a running back from Yale University. However, Calvin Hill proved to be a perfect pick.

Dallas coaches originally thought the 6-foot-4 inch, 227 pound Hill might be better suited for the NFL as a tight end, but the retirement of running back Don Perkins and injuries to other backs at the start of the 1969 training camp forced the Cowboys to keep Hill in the backfield.

Though he played his college football at Yale, which wasn't known for producing NFL stars, Calvin Hill was drafted in the first round of the 1969 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.

As it turned out, it was one of the best non-moves that Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry ever made.

Hill rushed for 70 yards and threw a 53-yard touchdown pass in his first NFL game as Dallas defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 24-3. The next week, Hill rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-17 victory over New Orleans.

Through the first nine games of the season, Hill was the best running back in football with 807 yards rushing and seemed on his way to easily breaking the NFL rookie rushing record of 1,004 yards set by Beattie Feathers of the Chicago Bears in 1934.

However, while rushing for 150 yards in a 41-28 victory over the Washington Redskins in the ninth game of the season, Hill suffered a broken bone in his foot.

He missed the next game and then gained only 135 yards over the final four games as Gale Sayers passed him for the NFL rushing lead and Hill finished with 942 yards to fall short of the rookie record.

For the next two seasons, Hill played well when in the lineup, but injuries and the presence of Duane Thomas, who Dallas drafted in the first round of the 1970 draft, limited his opportunities.

Dallas advanced to the Super Bowl in each season, but Hill had only one kickoff return in a 16-13 loss in Super Bowl V and the following season had 25 yards rushing as the Cowboys defeated the Dolphins 24-3.

Finally, in 1972 Hill was able to overcome his history of injuries and reemerge as one of the top rushers in the league.

He became the first running back in Dallas Cowboys history to crack the 1,000-yard mark and finished seventh in the NFL with 1,036 yards rushing. Hill also displayed his talent as a pass catcher as he ranked in the top 10 in the conference with 43 receptions. His 1,400 total yards from scrimmage ranked fourth in the NFL.

Calvin Hill was the first running back in Dallas Cowboys history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season.

The following season, Hill was even better with 1,142 yards rushing to finish third in the NFL and only two yards behind John Brockington in the NFC. His 1,432 yards from scrimmage were second in the NFL.

Hill and the Cowboys appeared headed for their third Super Bowl in four years before injuries again raised their ugly head.

In the opening round of the NFC Playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams, Hill rushed for 97 yards, but suffered a separated shoulder in the second half diving for a loose ball after a fumble.

The Cowboys won the game 27-16, but without Hill in the lineup were unable to overcome the Minnesota Vikings the following week in the NFC Championship Game.

Injuries continued to haunt Hill in 1974 as he played in only 12 games as Dallas missed the playoffs for the first time in his career. However, Hill still ranked eighth in the NFL with 844 yards rushing and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in six seasons with the Cowboys.

Playing in an era when player salaries were tightly controlled and free agency was non-existent, Hill joined several other NFL stars (including Miami Dolphins stars Paul Warfield, Jim Kiick and Larry Csonka) following the 1974 season to bolt the NFL for the new World Football League (WFL).

Hill joined The Hawaiian, based in Honolulu and was immediately the biggest name on the roster. He played in three games before suffering a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

The injury ended Hill’s brief foray into the WFL and effectively ended his time as a featured running back.

Hill was known for his style of jumping over blockers and defenders.

After the WFL folded following the 1975 season, Hill was declared a free agent and signed with the Cowboys’ archrivals the Washington Redskins.

In two seasons with Washington, Hill was only a shell of the player that had terrorized the Skins during his six seasons with the Cowboys.

Instead, Hill rushed for only 558 yards and caught 25 passes in 28 games.

It appeared that his career might be over following the 1977 season as veteran coach George Allen left the Skins and new head coach Jack Pardee looked to make the team younger.

Hill was out of the league at the start of the season, but after four games signed with the Cleveland Browns, who were looking for a veteran running back to compliment perennial All-Pro tailback Greg Pruitt and emerging fullback Mike Pruitt.

Hill spent four seasons with the Cleveland Browns and was used primarily as a receiver out of the backfield.

Though he rushed the ball 80 times in his first season with the Browns due to injuries to Greg Pruitt, Hill’s primary role was as a receiver out of the backfield.

In his first three seasons with the Browns, Hill caught 90 passes for 1,098 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also brought veteran leadership and experience to a team that was on the rise.

The Browns just missed the playoffs in 1978 and 1979 and in 1980 posted an 11-5 record and won the AFC Central Division title for the first time since 1971.

Hill retired following the 1981 season with career totals of 6,083 yards rushing, 271 receptions, 8,944 yards from scrimmage and 65 touchdowns. At the time of his retirement, Hill was the 16th leading rusher in NFL history (he now ranks 67th).

Following his retirement, Hill worked in the front office for the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Orioles. He now is with the Dallas Cowboys.

Over the last two decades, Hill has received notoriety as part of one of the best father-son athletic tandems in sports history. His son, Grant, was an All-American basketball player at Duke University and has been an All-Star in the NBA playing for the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns.

If you had a favorite athlete growing up that you would like to see featured as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week, send me a nomination by e-mail.