Desmond Howard facts for kids
Howard in 2018
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| No. 80, 81, 82, 18 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver Return specialist |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | May 15, 1970 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 188 lb (85 kg) | ||||||||||||
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| High school: | St. Joseph (Cleveland, Ohio) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Michigan (1988–1991) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1992 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 | ||||||||||||
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Desmond Kevin Howard (born May 15, 1970) is a former American football player. He was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Howard played college football for the Michigan Wolverines. He won the famous Heisman Trophy in 1991. The Washington Redskins picked him fourth overall in the 1992 NFL Draft.
Desmond Howard was known for his amazing skills on special teams. He holds the NFL record for the most punt return yards in a single season. With the Green Bay Packers, he was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXI. This was after he ran back a kickoff for a 99-yard touchdown. It was the longest return in Super Bowl history at that time. He is the only special teams player ever to win this award. In 2010, he was added to the College Football Hall of Fame.
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Early Life and High School Football
Desmond Howard was born in Cleveland, Ohio. In high school, he was an amazing player at St. Joseph High School. He played as a tailback, which is a running back position.
During his senior year, he scored 18 touchdowns and ran for nearly 1,500 yards. He also played defense, catching 10 passes as an interceptor. Overall, he ran for over 5,000 yards in his high school career. He was recognized as an All-American and All-Ohio player.
College Career at Michigan
Desmond Howard played college football at the University of Michigan. While there, he set or tied many records. He had 19 receiving touchdowns in one season, which is still a school record. In 1991, he caught 62 passes for 985 yards. He scored 23 total touchdowns that year. He also gained many yards returning kickoffs and punts.
In 1991, Howard won the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Award. These are all major awards for college football players. He was also named a unanimous All-American. This means every major group of voters picked him as one of the best players. He received 85 percent of the first-place votes for the Heisman, which was a record at the time. Howard also earned a college degree in communications in 1992.
In 2010, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was also honored as the first "Michigan Football Legend." This program is like retiring a jersey number. Any Michigan player who wears Howard's No. 21 jersey now wears a special patch. Their locker also has a plaque with his name. Howard finished his three seasons at Michigan with over 2,100 receiving yards and 37 touchdowns.
When Howard first came to Michigan, he struggled to get playing time. He met with a counselor named Greg Harden. Harden helped him build his confidence. Howard later said that without Harden, he wouldn't have won the Heisman.
In 2014, the Big Ten Network named Howard as one of the top four players in Michigan Football history. Fans voted for this honor. On November 28, 2015, his No. 21 jersey was officially retired. This happened in a ceremony before a game against Ohio State. Howard was honored alongside other Michigan legends, including former President Gerald Ford.
The Heisman Pose
Desmond Howard grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He knew a lot about the big football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State. In 1991, when he was a top Heisman candidate, he wanted to do something special. He planned a "shout-out" to his home state during the Ohio State-Michigan game.
During that game, Howard returned a punt for a touchdown. The Ohio State coach had told his team to kick the ball out of bounds. So, they were not ready for Howard's amazing play. In the end zone, Howard wanted to do a backflip. But he "chickened out," as he later said. Instead, he copied the famous pose of the football player on the Heisman Trophy.
This pose instantly got a lot of attention. Many people have copied it since, including other athletes, celebrities, and even Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Howard says the pose has become a way for fans to greet him. But he tries not to do it himself too often. He feels that doing it too much might make it less special.
Professional Football Career
The Washington Redskins picked Desmond Howard in the first round of the 1992 NFL draft. He was the fourth player chosen overall. The Redskins had just won the Super Bowl. They already had great receivers. But they wanted Howard badly. They traded several draft picks to get him. The Redskins coach, Joe Gibbs, said Howard "doesn't have any flaws."
Throughout his 11-year NFL career, Howard was best known for returning punts and kickoffs. While he did catch passes, his special teams skills truly shined.
In 1995, Howard played one season for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was picked by them in a special expansion draft.
His most famous professional season was in 1996 with the Green Bay Packers. He led the NFL in punt returns, punt return yards (875), and punt return touchdowns (3). His 875 punt return yards set a new NFL record. During the playoffs that year, he had another punt return for a touchdown.
The Packers made it to Super Bowl XXXI against the New England Patriots. The Packers were leading 27–14 at halftime. But the Patriots scored a touchdown in the third quarter, making the score closer. Then, the Patriots kicked off the ball. Howard caught it at the one-yard line and ran it back 99 yards for a touchdown! This play crushed the Patriots' hopes of a comeback. The Packers went on to win 35–21.
After the game, the Patriots' coach, Bill Parcells, said Howard's return was "the game right there." Howard set a Super Bowl record with 90 punt return yards and 154 kickoff return yards. His total of 244 all-purpose yards also tied a Super Bowl record. Because of this amazing performance, he won the Super Bowl MVP award. He is the only player ever to win this award just for his special teams play.
After that season, Howard signed with the Oakland Raiders. He led the NFL in kickoff returns and kickoff return yards in 1997. He played for the Raiders in 1997 and 1998. Then, he rejoined the Packers in 1999.
Later in 1999, the Packers released Howard. The Detroit Lions signed him four days later. He played for the Lions until he retired after the 2002 season. In 2001, he was chosen for his first and only Pro Bowl game.
In his 11 NFL seasons, Howard caught 123 passes for over 1,500 yards. He also gained nearly 2,900 yards returning punts and almost 8,000 yards returning kickoffs. He scored 15 touchdowns in total.
Broadcasting Career
Today, Desmond Howard works for ESPN as a college football analyst. He appears on the show ESPN College Gameday. On this show, he travels to big college football games with other hosts like Chris Fowler and Lee Corso.
He also used to be a commentator for Detroit Lions pre-season games. He also called games for the NFL on Fox for one season.
Personal Life
Desmond Howard was featured on the cover of the college football video game NCAA Football 06.
He has two sons, Desmond Howard Jr. and Dhamir Howard, and a daughter, Sydney Howard. Howard also practices meditation. He supports the University of Michigan through the Desmond and Rebkah Howard Scholarship Fund.
See also
- Lists of Michigan Wolverines football receiving leaders
- List of NCAA major college football yearly receiving leaders
