Feature – For Love of the Game(s)
Dr. Jim Hilliard loved the game of golf. He played religiously and always enjoyed the challenge of trying to perfect a game that is imperfectible. As a collegiate athlete, an offensive lineman for the Texas Longhorns, sports were a huge part of Jim’s life. He loved football, but while at Texas he also found another calling, earning a degree in biology. After his time in Austin, Hilliard attended the University of Texas Medical School in Galveston, where he graduated in 1979. After a general surgery internship at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas and an orthopedic residency, this renaissance man, who loved to read everything he could get his hands on, began a private orthopedic surgery practice in Arlington in 1984.
Just a few years later, in 1988, he married Tamara Hext, with whom he would spend the next 33 years. Tamara was Miss Texas 1984 and brought a three-year-old son to the marriage, who Jim immediately embraced. Together, they built a family, as the coming years saw the birth of two more boys, Joe and Sam.
Dr. Hillard’s practice thrived over the next decade, and in 1996, he and several other surgeons created Arlington Orthopedic Associates, which became, and still is, one of most decorated and successful orthopedic surgical groups in the state of Texas. Years went by, the boys grew. Sam, in particular, became one heck of an athlete, playing baseball in high school and eventually ending up at Wichita State in 2015 after a couple of JUCO stops along the way. Sam went on to the MLB Draft, where he was selected in the 15th round by the Colorado Rockies.
In 2017, just a few months before his planned retirement, Dr. Hilliard began to feel some weakness in his grip strength while playing the game he loved. As a doctor, his mind began to connect the dots with the symptoms, and he quickly narrowed down what he thought this sudden decrease in motor function might be. Prayers were said, tests were run, and unfortunately, just a few months later, the family received the news they never wanted to hear. Dr. Hilliard had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as ALS, or for those who know baseball history, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. As a surgeon, Dr. Hilliard has helped countless people recover from injury and regain a normal life. He and his family knew, this wasn’t going to be as easy as scoping a shoulder or knee. There is no cure for ALS, and although there have been recent advancements that can slow the loss of physical function, the average lifespan post-diagnosis can be as little as two years.
Dr. Hilliard fought hard and took the diagnosis in stride, embracing his faith and family as he battled against a failing body. But as time passed, things began to get worse, and although Jim never let his faith waiver, he succumbed to ALS on September 12, 2021, just over four years after his diagnosis.
Just five days later, after saying goodbye to his father, Sam dug into the batter’s box as a pinch hitter for the Rockies in the sixth inning of a game against the Washington Nationals. Sam launched a home run to right field, the first since his father’s passing, and upon crossing the plate, took a solemn moment to point to the heavens. In the years since Dr. Hilliard’s passing, Sam played one more season with the Rockies in 2022, then went on to the Atlanta Braves for the 2023 season. Now, at age 30, he returned to play for the Rockies this past season.
“The whole thing was hard on all of us, but I can’t tell you how proud of him [Sam] I am,” Tamara said. “To overcome all that and still get to live his dream on the field has been incredible to watch.”
After Dr. Hilliard’s passing, Tamara and the family wanted not only to keep Jim’s legacy alive, but also to help generate money for others impacted by this horrible disease. The Team Hilliard Foundation was formed and entered into a partnership with ALS TDI, a biotech research company solely focused on ALS. The foundation also continues to coordinate with local chapters of the ALS Association here in north Texas. Unlike some other local or national foundations, their board members don’t accept any of the proceeds, as 100 percent of all donations are given to a local family, charity or research entity that deals in ALS.
“That’s how I managed the chaos of all of it. I wanted to help, and I wanted to make sure we were working hard to provide for others who have been impacted by ALS,” Tamara said.
For the third straight year, Sam has rallied some of his Major League Baseball cohorts to participate in a golf tournament right here in DFW that benefits ALS TDI and the Live Like Lou Foundation. The tournament is right around the corner (November 18, 2024) at Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington and will feature Sam and a few other active MLB players and veterans.
“We felt that it was important for us to do something, seeing as how intertwined baseball and ALS are,” Sam said. “There is no cure for this disease, and we thought an annual golf tournament would be a great idea, not only to raise money for the cause, but to also honor my dad in that way.”
The tournament has raised over $100,000 in each of the first two years, and the Team Hilliard Foundation hopes to continue to grow its efforts and earn more money to battle ALS in the future.
“He was an absolute warrior,” Sam said about his dad. “He never got down on himself and he never complained. It was astonishing to our whole family and people who loved him how gracefully he handled it. He definitely showed us how to live, but he really showed us how to go.”
Almost anyone who has ever watched Major League Baseball has seen Lou Gehrig’s retirement speech. You probably have, even if you think you haven’t, as Gehrig famously says: “Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
I would imagine Dr. Hilliard also felt fortunate in many respects, having gotten to help so many along his path as a surgeon and having raised three wonderful sons. Although he never got to play all the golf he wanted in his golden years, his virtue, perspective, conviction and bravery facing the end are an example that will be carried on by his family, friends and Team Hillard, as they continue to provide care and funds in an effort to find a cure for ALS.
For more information on how to donate or to participate in the 2025 Team Hilliard Golf Tournament, visit www.teamhilliardfoundation.org.
This is dedicated to Dr. Jim Hilliard and all those impacted by ALS.