Clifton Hill

All-State End and Team Captain (1940-41)

“Deal” grew up in Florence, Alabama.  His mother and father died when he was a young child.  He moved to Lubbock, Texas to live with his brother who attended Texas Tech on a football scholarship.

He was an outstanding player at Lubbock High School, which won the state championship in 1939.  Demp Cannon recruited several players from Lubbock to come and play at Coffeyville College.  Deal was one of the outstanding players that helped lead the great teams the Ravens had in 1940-1942.

From the College Dial came the following information on Hill.  “Deal probably was the most popular player in school, but was equally unpopular with the teams the Ravens encountered during the 1940 and 1941 grid war.  The loquacious Alabamian knew how to play football just one way - his heart on every play.  Hardworking, consistent and a deadly tackler, Hill was a cinch for All-state before the first half of the season.  His like won’t be around again for a long time; his outstanding play will be remembered for a long time.”

Hill worked at the Tackett Theatre while attending Coffeyville College.  He met his future wife, Shirley Morgan, there.  Shirley’s father, Shorty Morgan, had a drug store that was the local hangout and had many stories from all the Ravens that attended the college.

Hill was selected first team All-State, and his teammates selected him and Art Ramege as team captains for the 1941 undefeated Red Raven football team.  During the two years he started for the Ravens they were 17-0.

Deal went into the Marine Corps in 1942 and was discharged in October 1945.  He attended the University of Tulsa in the spring of 1946.  After the spring semester, he decided to go to propane school and worked n Macon, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana.  In 1949-51 he came back to Coffeyville and worked for Union Gas Company.

Deal and his family moved to Lawrence, Kansas where he ran an appliance and furniture store from 1951 to 1956.  He then went to work for the Sealy Mattress Company and traveled the midwest as a salesman for the company.

Deal and Shirley have three sons - Lou, John, and Mark.  In 1984, Deal and Shirley retired and moved to Kerrville, Texas and are enjoying retirement.