The Hills, parents of NBA model citizen and superstar Grant Hill, agreed to be consultants after a nationwide search by Jones. Mrs. Hill was vice president of the corporate consulting firm Alexander & Associates in Washington, D.C., which she founded.

Mr. Hill, formerly a vice president for the Baltimore Orioles, was an independent consultant. Mr Hill was also a consultant to the Cleveland Browns. As a consultant with the Cleveland, he helped form a group of Cleveland Browns' players to control and eliminate drug and alcohol related problems. Mr. Hill has written several articles on sports and academia for national publications, makes appearances at university campuses and business firms, throughout the United States. He addresses several topics including the problem of drugs and alcohol and the work needed in this area, and the important relationship of sports and academia.

As consultants they devised a wide-range plan that called for hiring of additional managers and staff. It was the Hills' job to create a support system that would try to teach players how to keep their personal lives safer and saner. They created a number of programs including family assistance, drug and alcohol abuse treatment, and career counseling. Calvin was enthusiastic about the Cowboys' future a year later, when he spoke to The Hartford Courant: "When I went to Dallas, I was expecting a team full of characters....what I found was a team of character. People tend to let a couple of incidents color the perception....Fame is a microscope, and with the Cowboys, it's an electron microscope."

The Cowboys clearly needed to assist players who were dealing poorly with fame and fortune. The Hills' work with the team is part of a larger trend towards support programs in college and professional sports. "I wish I could tell each guy here to put all the money away for a couple of years until they figure out what to do with it," he said in the Hartford Courant; "The problem is, these young men are socialized a certain way ... and then they are given more money than they ever could have envisioned. They get all that money and fame too quickly, before they know how to handle it," he continued. The personal problems professional athletes face are well known to the Hills, not only because of Calvin's experiences in the NFL, but because of their son Grant's career in the NBA. Speaking of Grant's entry into professional basketball in the Dallas Morning News, Calvin remembered, "We were scared to death ... because we know what's out there."

A New Direction

The Cowboys organization, unlike every other NFL team, has the infrastructure in place to handle NFL malcontents. Calvin Hill serves in that capacity, and given Dallas' success rate with not only keeping these guys out of trouble but getting them to be productive on the field, I'd say he's doing a pretty good job. No player on the Dallas Cowboys roster has been in legal trouble, as a Dallas Cowboy. NO other team in the NFL can say that.

The image and success Calvin Hill has brought to Dallas has been tested repeatedly by Jerry Jones. Before the Hills ever came to Dallas, Jones had a penchant for taking on basket cases, beginning with the remolding of Charles Haley. After having a falling out with the 49ers head coach George Seifert and a physical confrontation with then 49ers QB Steve Young, Haley was traded to Dallas - the only team willing to take on Haley and his violent temper - in the 1992 off-season. With the Cowboys he became a model citizen and team leader while winning three more Super Bowl rings over the next four seasons in 1992, 1993, and 1995.

Calvin Hill's work had an impact on the Cowboys draft choices also. Randy Moss grew up a Cowboys fan and wanted to play for the Cowboys. The Cowboys wanted Moss, but due to many off-field incidents of their own, Jerry Jones did not feel they could draft Moss. Michael Irvin even called to apologize to Moss, because Irvin's own off-field problems were a main reason Moss was not drafted by Dallas.

Since that draft, Moss has made a history out of beating up on the Cowboys. Before he was drafted, Randy Moss had stood outside the D/FW Marriott following his pre-draft visit to the Cowboys and vowed to make every team that passed on him pay. Perhaps Jerry Jones should have listened. Jones and the Cowboys chose not to take a chance on Moss, given their success with avoiding character issue baggage. Perhaps the greatest thrill in Moss' career come from torching Dallas at every opportunity. He seems to have his best games living up to that pre-draft vow.

NFL Crime Blotter

In February 2007 ProFootballTalk.com began tracking NFL players, coaches and team reps arrests and incidents with what is called their "Turd Watch".

Turd Watch is a device for tracking and publicizing player arrests and convictions. Though some might find the name to be unpleasant, NFL scouts, coaches, players, and agents commonly use the term "turd" in reference to guys who are, well, turds. Take a look at the results - warning - the number of incidents is shocking:

7/16/08: Broncos CB Carl Paymah is convicted of DUI and careless driving.

7/10/08: Jaguars WR Matt Jones is arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance.

7/9/08: Pats RB Kevin Faulk pleads no contest to marijuana possession.

7/7/08: Seahawks LB Lofa Tatupu pleads guilty to DUI.

6/30/08: Pats DB Willie Andrews is arrested for assault with a dangerous weapon, a felony, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

6/28/08: Ravens DB Derrick Martin is arrested for possession of marijuana.

6/27/08: Bills RB Marshawn #### pleads guilty to failure to exercise due care, avoiding charges of hit-and-run.

6/24/08: Cardinals OL Brandon Keith pleads guilty to misdemeanor rioting and interference with official acts.

6/24/08: It is reported for the first time that Broncos WR Brandon Marshall was arrested for misdemeanor domestic battery on March 6.

6/24/08: It is reported for the first time that LB Jordon Dizon was arrested six days before the draft for su####ion of DUI; he was drafted by the Lions six days later.

6/23/08: Panthers WR Dwayne Jarrett pleads guilty to driving while impaired.

6/22/08: Titans DE Jevon Kearse is arrested for DUI.

6/21/08: Giants DB Geoffrey Pope is detained for questioning regarding potential felony battery charges. (On June 23, Pope was cleared of all charges.)

6/18/08: Cardinals RB J.J. Arrington is arrested for disorderly conduct.

6/15/08: Falcons S Daren Stone is arrested for DUI.

6/13/08: Titans WR Brandon Jones is arrested for misdemeanor possession of an unlawful firearm.

6/7/08: Bears RB Cedric Benson is arrested for DUI.

5/30/08: Jaguars S Gerald Sensabaugh is arrested for reckless driving; he was doing wheelies on a motorcycle.

5/24/08: 49ers LB Ezra Butler is arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana.

5/20/08: Saints DE Charles Grant is indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor fighting.

5/10/08: Seahawks LB Lofa Tatupu is arrested for su####ion of DUI.

5/3/08: Falcons LB Michael Boley is arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery.

5/3/08: Bears RB Cedric Benson is arrested for boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors.

4/27/08: Patriots OL Nick Kaczur is arrested for illegal prescription of painkillers.

4/27/08: The Cardinals draft OT Brandon Keith with three pending misdemeanors – disorderly conduct, rioting, and interfering with officials.

4/27/08: The Titans draft LB Stanford Keglar with three pending misdemeanors — battery, false informing, and disorderly conduct.

4/27/08: The Eagles draft CB Jack Ikegwuonu with a pending misdemeanor (criminal trespass) and a pending felony (residential burglary).

4/27/08: The Bengals draft DT Jason Shirley despite three pending misdemeanors — hit-and-run, driving under the influence, and driving with a blood-alcohol content of .08 percent or higher.

4/26/08: The Chargers draft LB DeJuan Tribble despite a pending misdemeanor charge of assault and battery and a pending felony charge of assault and battery with a deadly weapon.

4/26/08: The Lions draft OT Gosder Cherilus despite a pending misdemeanor charge of assault and battery and a pending felony charge of assault and battery with a deadly weapon.

4/26/08: Lions S Kalvin Pearson is arrested for felony aggravated battery of a female, felony domestic battery by strangulation, and misdemeanor obstruction or opposing of an officer.

4/21/08: Seahawks DT Rocky Bernard is arrested for investigation of domestic violence assault, a misdemeanor.

4/20/08: Colts RB Kenton Keith is arrested on four misdemeanors — public intoxication, disorderly conduct, resisting law enforcement, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

4/13/08: 49ers CB Donald Strickland has been arrested for misdemeanor public intoxication and misdemeanor resisting arrest.

4/11/08: Dolphins FB Regan Mauia is arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery.

4/9/08: Eagles DT Mike Patterson is found guilty of careless driving: likely to endanger a person.

4/3/08: Browns CB Kenny Wright is arrested and charged with unlawful restraint, evading arrest and fleeing, and possession of marijuana.

4/3/08: Bengals WR Chris Henry is arrested for assault and criminal damaging.

3/28/08: Giants LB Antonio Pierce pleads guilty to animal neglect.

3/19/08: Steelers WR Cedrick Wilson is arrested for simple assault, harassment, and disorderly conduct.

3/16/08: Texans WR Jacoby Jones is arrested for misdemeanor DUI.

3/15/08: Titans RB Lendale White is cited for destruction of property, disobedience to a lawful order, and interference and resisting.

3/12/08: Packers LB Nick Barnett pleads no contest to misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

3/11/08: Titans assistant coach Chuck Cecil pleads guilty to reckless driving.

3/11/08: Panthers WR Dwayne Jarrett is arrested for misdemeanor driving while impaired.

3/8/08: Steelers LB James Harrison is arrested for misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief.

3/1/08: Browns CB Kenny Wright is charged with possession of marijuana.

3/1/08: Broncos DT Marcus Thomas is arrested for felony cocaine possession.

2/24/08: Vikings LT Bryant McKinnie is arrested for felony aggravated battery, misdemeanor disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest without violence.

2/22/08: Patriots RB Kevin Faulk is charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession.

2/19/08: Raiders CB Fabian Washington is arrested for misdemeanor domestic battery.

2/19/08: Broncos RB Andre Hall is arrested for driving on a revoked license, a misdemeanor.

2/17/08: Texans WR Jerome Mathis is arrested for choking his pregnant girlfriend, a misdemeanor.

2/16/08: Eagles DT Mike Patterson is arrested and charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession, driving while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and careless driving: likely to endager a person.

2/15/08: Bills WR Roscoe Parrish is arrested for misdemeanor DUI.

2/15/08: Titans CB Pacman Jones pleads guilty to felony obstruction of a police officer.

2/5/08: Pats DB Willie Andrews is arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, a felony.