The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • Page D3

At 68, Roy Hilton still enjoys fooling people. come up to me and think an old basketball player. I like said Hilton, who, at 6 feet 6, was one of the tallest Baltimore Colts of his day. He fooled people in other ways, back then. The 15th-round draft pick in 1965, Hilton surprised everyone by making the team at defensive end and lasting 11 years in the NFL.

And in 16-13 victory in Super Bowl he surprised Dallas by roaring past its All-Pro tackle, Ralph Neely, and sacking Cowboys quarterback Craig Morton twice before halftime. Then, in the fourth quarter, with the Colts trailing 13-6, Hilton charged the Dallas passer again. Tossing Neely aside with a head slap (it was legal then), Hilton rushed a hurried Morton and forced an interception that led to the tying touchdown. the game, Mac coach Don came over to me, shook my hand and just said, Hilton said. was the highlight of my entire career.

I was fired up for the Super Bowl because, beforehand, Dallas had switched Neely from one side of its offensive line to the other. They wanted to get him away from All-Pro defensive Bubba Smith. I guess they thought I was easy got to do At 225 pounds, lighter than his playing weight (238). a good reason for that, Hilton said: I left football, I had to start paying for my own mike.klingaman@baltsun.com security officer at Johns Hopkins University, apost Hilton held for 20 years. He still exercises regularly keep the body parts and takes brisk walks daily.

I go out in the rain, my wife, Marie, tells me what a goof I he said. may drop dead, working out, but I feel like pickings for Neely, and it ticked me Smith, who died in August, had been the first player selected overall in the 1967 draft, out of Michigan State. Hilton, who attended Jackson State, had been chosen No. 210. So it was no surprise which end got all the ink.

was Hilton said. he got mad and decided he was going to get the quarterback, they simply could not stop him. He was that good. He was bigger feet and stronger than me, though both of our legs looked like toothpicks. I had a phobia about that.

During games, I wore socks all the way up to my knees, to make my legs look bigger. Even now, when I go down the street for a walk, I do the same Hilton, who lives in Randallstown, has paid for his rough play. The left knee has been replaced twice; the right one is next to go. He suffers from gout and arthritis and takes more than 10 medications a day. But you hear complaints from the man who played nine seasons in Baltimore during the golden era.

been said Hilton, married 46 years to his high school sweetheart. got six grandchildren, all of whom keep me One, Brandon Copeland (Gilman), is a junior defensive end at Penn, where he has twice made the All-Ivy League first team. Another, Marquis Sullivan (Archbishop Spalding), starred in basketball at Loyola. Having raised three daughters, Hilton now has six grandsons and dotes on every one. He attends every Penn home game and tutors Copeland in the nuances of the sport.

He also goes to all Ravens home contests with his neighbor, Lenny Moore, the Colts Hall of Famer. Hilton retired in 2007 from his job as CATCHING UP WITH ROY HILTON In Super Bowl Roy Hilton sacked Cowboys quarterback Craig Morton twice in the first half and forced a fourth-quarter interception that set up the tying touchdown. 1969 BALTIMORE SUN PHOTO Colts defensive end was no Super Bowl game-changer now spends his time doting on his six grandchildren By Mike Klingaman The Baltimore Sun 3 SPORTS BALTIMORE SUN RAVENS WEEKEND Kevin Cowherd RAVENS 20, BENGALS 17 Driven by fear of tumbling in the playoff seedings, the Ravens overcome season-long road problems with a workmanlike win. Edward Lee BENGALS 30, RAVENS 21 With a first-round bye and at least one home playoff game at stake, the Ravens have plenty of motivation. But they have lost five of their past six in Cincinnati, and that trend end Sunday.

Mike Preston BENGALS 21, RAVENS 17 The Bengals have much more to play for, and the Ravens have not performed well on the road. Peter Schmuck RAVENS 23, BENGALS 20 This is going to be a nail-biter for both teams, but the Ravens are the Super Bowl contender here, so come through in the end. Jeff Zrebiec BENGALS 27, RAVENS 23 The Ravens have gotten the benefit of the doubt to this point, but their spotty play over the past couple of weeks and their problems on the road be overlooked, especially in a game of this magnitude. Mark Viviano BENGALS 20, RAVENS 17 The Ravens are the better team, but a different team on the road. Cincy needs it more and gets it.

be surprised if the Steelers lost, too. Kevin Van Valkenburg RAVENS 20, BENGALS 17 gone back and forth on this pick 10 times, and I still have my doubts. But I think with so much at stake, the Ravens will find a way to escape in the final seconds. STAFF PICKS RAVENS AT BENGALS Ravens video Watch Ravens coach John Harbaugh and Terrell Suggs talk about stopping Bengals running back Cedric Benson at baltimoresun.com/video fleet feet are no longer a secret, not since he hauled in five catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns in the win Week 3 over the St. Louis Rams.

But as his rookie season the best by afirst-year wide receiver in franchise history continues, Smith has quietly been making strides to become a more complete receiver, not just one of the most dangerous deep threats. His quarterback, his offensive coordinator and a former mentor at Maryland all say a fast learner. But with No. 1 receiver Anquan Boldin sidelined by a knee injury, learning process has been accelerated even more. still raw and still Smith said.

to tutelage of wide receivers coach Jim and just working hard, learned a lot and grown a lot, and I can see it just from looking at film from Day One until now. still far from perfect, but Ican see Smith has always been blessed with remarkable straight-away speed. been that way since he said. It was that way when he starred as a high school player in Virginia and when he was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team receiver in his final season at Maryland. But improving his fundamentals things such as hand placement while catching passes, making sharper cuts and disguising his routes has been his since arriving in Baltimore as a player who some draft analysts said was a raw athlete who would be a long-term project.

It help that he struggled in training camp and had no receptions in his first two NFL games. technique has led to my drops. It has led to bad routes at times. And I need to improve my the second-round pick said. I get technically sound, going to be tough to Smith has dropped several passes this season, but he has taken criticism from media and fans in stride, according to Kevin Glover, coordinator of development, alumni and community relations and a former All-Americaoffensive lineman for the Terps who played 15 seasons in the NFL.

The two were close during time in College Park, and they stay in touch via text message. At a Terps game early in the fall, Smith showed Glover negative tweets from Ravens fans. handled it a lot better than most rookies would said Glover, who was a three-time Pro Bowl selection. rookies would have been frustrated and not wanted anyone to see it, but he wanted to show us that he knew about the criticism and he wanted to prove everyone wrong. had a big game against the Rams, and it was full speed ahead from Smith has since set Ravens rookie records in receptions (45), receiving yards (808) and touchdowns (seven).

His 165 receiving yards last month against the Cincinnati Bengals (9-6) the team the Ravens (11-4) play Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium are a Ravens rookie record for a single game. He is tied for first among NFL rookies in receiving touchdowns. He ranks third in receiving yards. And his 18-yards-per-catch average is fifth among all NFL players with at least 25 receptions. Thanks in part to his success on the field, remarkable life story he helped his mother, Monica Jenkins, raise his six siblings through borderline poverty was recently featured on the show.

He said that was but more concerned with the attention opposing defenses are giving him, especially now that Boldin in the lineup to lead the way. kind of comes with the territory. made a few plays now, so people are getting to know Smith said. not going to surprise anyone anymore, so got to bring it every Though Flacco is the man whose job is to get Smith the football, the fourth-year quarterback was hesitant to take credit for playing a role in development. the guy with the Flacco said.

But he did say he is proud of Smith for working hard and playing well. think you guys have been able to see how much been able to get Flacco said. And as Smith continues to grow up in the NFL and eventually grows old, something the rookie talked about as if the twilight of his career loomed on the horizon is eager to prove that he is not just a receiver who blazes past awe-struck defenders. He wants to be the total package. can see it coming he said.

want to prove that I can do more than just run straight. I can run all the different routes. something people think I could do or that there was a possibility that it was something I could do. I want to be known as just a fast football player. not going to be fast forever, so I just want to be the best overall receiver that Ican matt.vensel@baltsun.com twitter.com/mattvensel Rookie receiver Smith catching on in a hurry KENNETH K.

SUN PHOTO RAVENS, Frompage1 The Toy Dept. For a up archive, go to baltimoresun.com/ toydept Torrey Smith, left, has dropped several passes in his rookie season, like this one Dec. 11against the Colts, but former Maryland All-American Kevin Glover says he has stayed calm and is determined to improve..