Drew Hill

Houston’s All-Time Team: Drew Hill

Drew Hill
Position: Wide Receiver
Team: Houston Oilers
Years: 1985-1993

Career: It’s unfair to put such a big thing in the hands of a 5’9" football player, but Drew Hill had his chance to nip the Oiler playoff jinx in the bud. It came in the second round of the 1988 playoffs in chilly Buffalo. Jerry Glanville’s post-season record was actually a sparkling 2-1 at the time and they were fresh off a win in icy Cleveland.

The Bills had taken a 7-0 lead but Hill was already having a good game – four catches for 61 yards – when he cut into the end zone on a 25-yard post pattern in the second quarter. Warren Moon’s throw hit him in the hands. But it fell out and, as Hill concentrated on reclaiming the pass, his neck collided with the goal post at the back of the end zone.

Hill was lost for the rest of the game and the litany of Houston playoff frustration multiplied from there. Surely, others had their chances to stop the bleeding. This chance was Drew’s.

But Hill had much to do with getting the Oilers to the playoffs and, for a time, he was rewriting the Oiler record book. It was quite an accomplishment for a guy who caught just 74 passes in five years with the Los Angeles Rams before being traded to Houston for a pair of mid-round draft picks. In L.A., Drew was used as a kickoff returner and occasional home run threat. By 1984, he didn’t even lead the Rams in receptions by a player with the last name "Hill."

So coming to Houston was like a rebirth to the Georgia Tech alum. And Moon finally found a target he could be happy with. In their first NFL game together, Hill caught a key pass late to set up the winning points in an upset of the Dolphins. It got better. By the end of 1985, Drew led the Oilers in receiving yards (1,169) and touchdowns (9) while grabbing 64 tosses. The highlight was a 210-yard performance on nine catches against Indianapolis.

When Ernest Givins joined the team the next year, Moon had a pair of talented smurfs to open up the offense. Drew snared 65 passes for 1,112 yards and five scores, often serving as the deep threat that kept defenses backpedaling. He burned the Bengals for 185 yards and ten receptions in November.

While Moon hit anyone who was open, Hill became his "go-to" receiver when he needed to keep a drive alive. As one reporter put it, sometimes it looked like Moon and Hill were just playing catch while 20 other players ran around.

"I can read his body language like a book," gushed Warren.

Drew caught 49 passes for 989 yards and six scores during a strike-marred 1987 campaign. He fashioned a 20.2 yards-per-catch average. He could use his sprinter’s speed to blow past defenders, even double teams. Houston was back in the playoffs for the first time since 1980. Hill had 11 catches for 155 yards in the post-season.

By 1988, Hill was getting league-wide notoriety. It didn’t hurt that he ran around the Super Bowl champion Redskins in prime time for nine catches, 148 yards and three touchdowns. Overall, he latched onto 72 aerials for 1,141 yards and 10 scores. He tacked on another nine catches for 137 yards in the playoffs before that fateful play in Buffalo.

Injuries held him back the next year. Yet he still led the Oilers in receptions (66), yards (938) and touchdowns (8). He added six grabs for 98 yards in a playoff loss.

By this time, other receivers were pushing for playing time and Drew found himself less often the target for game-breaking plays. He also stood on the sidelines while others took their turns. Not the media hound as some of his teammates were, Hill was sometimes overlooked in the circus Glanville created.

When the Run and Shoot was introduced in 1990, Hill became the underneath possession receiver. Unlike Givins, the now 34-year-old Hill knew how to get what he could and either fall down or step out of bounds, avoiding some of the punishment his teammate received. By that stage of his career, staying healthy became a priority. He tied for the AFC lead in receptions with 74, gained 1,019 yards, scored five times and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl. Even so, he was not the team’s leader in yards or touchdowns.

In some ways, Drew saved his best for last. With a full year of the new offense under their belts, Moon and his receivers seemed unstoppable at times. Hill had a career-best 90 catches for 1,109 yards and four touchdowns in 1991. It was his fourth 1,000-yard season and sixth straight of 900 yards or more. He finally made his only playoff touchdown, a nine-yard strike from Moon in the 26-24 loss in Denver.

But the veteran was being pushed for playing time and, when free agency presented the opportunity, he left for Glanville’s Atlanta Falcons where he played his final two seasons. A decade after his retirement, Drew Hill still ranks in the top 20 in NFL all-time receptions (634) and receiving yards (9,831). His 24 100-yard games ranks second in team history behind Charley Hennigan and he ranks second in franchise receiving yards behind Ernest Givins. Not bad for a guy acquired for a couple of draft picks.

Houston Highlight: During a key 1991 division matchup in Cleveland, the Oilers trailed by three with three minutes to go. The Oilers were back on their own 16 but Warren Moon knew whose number to call. Moon went to Drew Hill four different times as he marched down the field against the Browns and the clock.

His last toss also found Hill for a one-yard score with nine seconds left. It gave Houston a 28-24 victory on the road. Three weeks later, the Oilers clinched their first division title in 24 years.

Drew Hill’s career stats Year Catches Yards Avg. TD 1985 64 1,169 18.3 9 1986 65 1,112 17.1 5 1987 49 989 20.2 6 1988 72 1,141 15.8 10 1989 66 938 14.2 8 1990 74 1,019 13.8 5 1991 90 1,109 12.3 4 1992 60 623 10.4 3 1993 34 384 11.3 0 Totals 574 8,484 14.8 50 Drew Hill Return to Houston Pro Football Find out who else has made the All-Time Team.