Howard Richards (American football) facts for kids

Howard Richards, born on August 7, 1959, is a former American football player. He played as an offensive tackle and guard for teams like the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the pros, he played college football for the Missouri Tigers.

Growing Up in St. Louis

Howard Richards was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on August 7, 1959. When he was young, he was part of a special program for gifted students. This program required him to attend a different school because of desegregation efforts at the time.

He went to Southwest High School. As a freshman, he played baseball, basketball, and football. In his sophomore and junior years, he played less football and basketball. By his senior year, he decided to focus only on football.

College Football Star

Richards earned a football scholarship to the University of Missouri. He quickly became an important player. As a freshman, he started four games. This began an amazing streak of 40 games started in a row at right tackle.

He became a top offensive tackle for the Missouri Tigers. He was named to the All-Big Eight team in both his junior and senior years. In 1980, his final year, he was a co-captain for the offense. He also received second-team All-American honors. After college, he played in special games like the Senior Bowl and the Hula Bowl.

Professional Football Career

Joining the Dallas Cowboys

In the 1981 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys picked Howard Richards as the 26th player overall. This was only the third time in the Cowboys' history that they chose an offensive lineman in the first round.

In his second year, Richards became a starter at left guard. The next year, he shared playing time with All-Pro player Herb Scott.

In 1984, Richards had a chance to become the starting left tackle. However, he got a serious groin injury. He still started four games at left tackle. Later, he suffered another injury, a torn quadriceps, which ended his season. Despite the injuries, he received the Ed Block Courage Award that year. This award honors players who show courage and inspire others.

Richards had three good years early in his career. But injuries caused him to miss games in the next two seasons. He started 1985 on a special list for injured players. He did not play until late October. For the 1986, he was named the starting right guard. However, injuries continued to bother him, and he only played in nine games.

The Cowboys released Richards in June 1987. This happened after the team had its first losing season in 22 years. Richards was part of two division championship teams. He also played in two championship games. But his career was often affected by injuries.

Playing for the Seattle Seahawks

In 1987, NFL players went on strike. The league decided to play games with replacement players. Howard Richards joined the Seattle Seahawks as a replacement player on October 7.

He played in two games for the Seahawks. Then, he suffered a knee injury during a game against the Detroit Lions. He was placed on the injured list on October 20. Richards decided to retire from football at the end of that season.

Life After Football

After his football career, Howard Richards worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for 13 years. Today, he works as a football radio analyst for the University of Missouri. He also serves as a Senior Manager for the College of Arts and Science at Missouri.

Howard Richards has family connections to other football players. He is the first cousin of Erik McMillan, who played for the New York Jets. He is also the nephew of Ernie McMillan, who played for the Saint Louis Cardinals.

In 2012, the University of Missouri honored Richards as a distinguished alumni. In 2015, he received the University of Missouri's Faculty - Alumni Award. This award celebrates the achievements of both faculty and former students. Also in 2015, Richards was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.