In 1972, the family moved to a horse farm owned by Stan Hamilton and his father-in-law, after a flood damaged their house in Wilkes-Barre.
They were the only black people in the area and Hamilton suffered abuse at school, being called racial slurs and seeing a burning cross on a bonfire during a football pep rally.
He set several track records at school and proved to be an adept Western-style horse rider and football player.
[1] Having graduated with honors, he was recruited by a number of colleges for his excellence in academics and athletics before selecting Penn State.
[1] After which, he played eight seasons as a safety in the National Football League with the New York Jets[2] and Tampa Bay Buccaneers[3] before retiring in 1993.