View source for Chuck Howley

{{Short description|American football player (born 1936)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Chuck Howley
| image       = Chuck howley cowboys.jpg
| caption     = Signed photo of Howley with the [[Dallas Cowboys]]
| number      = 54
| position    = [[Linebacker]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1936|6|28|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Wheeling, West Virginia]], U.S.
| death_date  = <!--{{Death date and age|20YY|MM|DD|1936|6|28|mf=yes}}-->
| death_place =
| height_ft   = 6
| height_in   = 3
| weight_lb   = 228
| high_school = [[Wheeling, West Virginia#Education|Warwood]] (Wheeling)
| college     = [[West Virginia Mountaineers football|West Virginia]] (1954–1957)
| draftyear   = 1958
| draftround  = 1
| draftpick   = 7
| pastteams   = 
* [[Chicago Bears]] ({{NFL Year|1958|1959}})
* [[Dallas Cowboys]] ({{NFL Year|1961|1973}})
| highlights  = 
* [[List of Super Bowl champions|Super Bowl champion]] ([[Super Bowl VI|VI]])
* [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award|Super Bowl MVP]] ([[Super Bowl V|V]])
* 5× First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1966 All-Pro Team|1966]]–[[1970 All-Pro Team|1970]])
* 2× Second-team All-Pro ([[1965 All-Pro Team|1965]], [[1971 All-Pro Team|1971]])
* 6× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1966 Pro Bowl|1965]]–[[1970 Pro Bowl|1969]], [[1972 Pro Bowl|1971]])
* [[Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor]]
* 3× [[Southern Conference|All-SoCon]] (1955–1957)
* [[West Virginia Mountaineers football#Retired numbers|West Virginia Mountaineers No. 66]] retired
| statlabel1  = [[Interception]]s
| statvalue1  = 25
| statlabel2  = Interception yards
| statvalue2  = 399
| statlabel3  = [[Fumble]] recoveries
| statvalue3  = 18
| statlabel4  = Total [[touchdown]]s
| statvalue4  = 3
| pfr         = HowlCh00
| HOF         = chuck-howley 
}}

'''Charles Louis Howley''' (born June 28, 1936) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[linebacker]] for 15 seasons in the [[National Football League]] (NFL), primarily with the [[Dallas Cowboys]]. He spent his first two seasons with the [[Chicago Bears]], who selected him seventh overall in the [[1958 NFL draft]], and played the remainder of his career for the Cowboys. Recognized as an original member of the [[Doomsday Defense]], Howley received six [[Pro Bowl]] and five first-team [[All-Pro]] selections, while appearing in two consecutive [[Super Bowl]]s and winning [[Super Bowl VI]]. Howley was also named the [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] of [[Super Bowl V]] and is the only player on a losing team to receive the award. He was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 2023.

==Early life==
Howley was born and raised in [[Wheeling, West Virginia]]. He initially enrolled at [[Wheeling Central Catholic High School]], before transferring to [[Wheeling Park High School|Warwood High School]]. He [[Letterman (sports)|letter]]ed in [[High school football|football]], [[High school basketball|basketball]], and [[baseball]]. In football, he was first-team all-state and all-[[Ohio Valley Athletic Conference|OVAC]] as a senior. As a teenager he also competed in [[gymnastics]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Derek |last=Redd |url=https://www.theintelligencer.net/news/top-headlines/2023/08/warwoods-own-chuck-howley-to-be-inducted-into-pro-football-hall-of-fame-today/ |title=Warwood's Own Chuck Howley To Be Inducted Into Pro Football Hall of Fame Today |newspaper=The Intelligencer |date=August 5, 2023 |access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref> He graduated in 1954.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ohiocountylibrary.org/history/wheeling-hall-of-fame-charles-l.-chuck-howley/7445 |title=Wheeling Hall of Fame: Charles L. "Chuck" Howley |website=ohiocountylibrary.org |access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>

==College career==
Howley accepted a football scholarship from [[West Virginia Mountaineers football|West Virginia University]] in [[Morgantown, West Virginia|Morgantown]], where he was a three-time All-[[Southern Conference]] selection and the conference player of the year in 1957.<ref name=wvhasn11>{{cite news |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=Associated Press |title=West Virginia's Howley All-Southern '11' captain |date=November 30, 1957 |page=4, part 2}}</ref> At WVU, Howley joined the Mu Mu chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Howley played [[Guard (gridiron football)|guard]] and [[Center (gridiron football)|center]] during his three years at varsity, in which the Mountaineers compiled a 21–8–1 record, including a 21–7 victory over [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State]], West Virginia's last until [[1984 West Virginia Mountaineers football team|1984]]. He played in the [[East–West Shrine Bowl|East-West Shrine Game]] and the [[Senior Bowl]], which helped him get noticed by the [[Chicago Bears]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 14, 1957 |title=Midwest Dominates North Team |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19571214&id=K7cqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AGUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7295,2784330 |access-date=February 19, 2023 |website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|via=Google News}}</ref> He also was in the [[Chicago Charities College All-Star Game|College All-Star Game]] in August 1958, a 35–19 win over the [[1957 NFL Championship Game|defending champion]] [[1958 Detroit Lions season|Detroit Lions]].<ref name=gasslil>{{cite news|newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |last=Johnson |first=Chuck |title=Grid All-Stars slay inept Detroit Lions |date=August 16, 1958|page=12 }}</ref>

He is the only athlete in school history to letter in five sports: football, [[track and field|track]], [[wrestling]], [[gymnastics]], and [[Swimming (sport)|swimming]]. He won the [[Southern Conference]] one-meter [[Diving (sport)|diving]] championship.

Howley was inducted into the [[West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame]], the [[Texas Sports Hall of Fame]], the West Virginia University Athletics Hall of Fame, the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Hall of Fame and the West Virginia University Academy of Distinguished Alumni.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.ovac.org/HallOfFame/Details/32 | title=Ohio Valley Athletic Conference hall Of Fame | access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref> On November 4, 2023, West Virginia retired his number 66.

==Professional career==

===Chicago Bears===
Howley was selected seventh overall in the [[1958 NFL draft]] by the [[1958 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]], playing for two seasons before retiring after what appeared to be a career-ending knee injury he sustained in August [[1959 Chicago Bears season|1959]], at training camp in [[Rensselaer, Indiana]].<ref name=bllbmsupi >{{cite news |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=UPI |title=Bears lose linebacker |date=August 12, 1959 |page=3, part 2 }}</ref> He played just three games late in that season and was inactive in [[1960 Chicago Bears season|1960]].<ref name=cbsgnexb>{{cite news |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=Associated Press |title=Cowboys sign Howley, ex-Bear |date=June 14, 1961 |page=2, part 2 }}</ref> He returned to West Virginia that year to take a job running a [[gas station]], planning to permanently retire from professional football.

Howley decided to make a comeback in [[1961 Chicago Bears season|1961]] following a West Virginia alumni game. The Bears traded his rights to the [[1961 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]] in exchange for second (#20-[[Steve Barnett (American football)|Steve Barnett]]) and ninth (#118-Monte Day) round draft choices in the [[1963 NFL draft]].<ref name=cbsgnexb/><ref>{{cite web|last=Mayer|first=Larry|url=https://www.chicagobears.com/news/these-bears-draft-picks-gained-fame-in-other-areas-9963134|title=These Bears draft picks gained fame in other areas|publisher=[[Chicago Bears]]|date=April 25, 2013|access-date=April 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428074306/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/These-Bears-draft-picks-gained-fame-in-other-areas/ec6dca7b-ad41-43ac-839c-e61e0197ecc9|archive-date=April 28, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Dallas Cowboys===
Dallas had gone 0–11–1 in their inaugural season prior to acquiring Howley, but he was still eager to play for the new team. "I went back because I decided there were better things to do than run a gas station," he said. "Also, I thought it would be a unique opportunity to play for Dallas, a team that was just getting started.”<ref>{{Cite news|last=Judge|first=Clark|url=https://talkoffametwo.com/nfl/chuck-howley-and-hall-of-fame|title = Trying to make sense of why Chuck Howley isn't in the Hall|newspaper=Talk of Fame |date=July 18, 2020|access-date=April 25, 2023}}</ref>

Although Howley started in [[1961 Dallas Cowboys season|1961]] and [[1962 Dallas Cowboys season|1962]] as a [[Linebacker|strongside linebacker]], in [[1963 Dallas Cowboys season|1963]] he switched to [[Linebacker|weakside linebacker]]. At the conclusion of the 1963 season, Howley was named to ''[[The Sporting News]]'' All-East NFL team for the first time. Howley holds the record for the second-most interceptions by a linebacker in a season with six, which he accomplished in {{NFL Year|1968}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/photos/mind-blowing-stats-for-week-5-of-the-2013-nfl-season-0ap2000000254639|title=Mind-blowing stats for Week 5 of the 2013 NFL season|work=[[National Football League]]|date=October 2, 2013|access-date=April 25, 2023}}</ref>

Howley played with the Cowboys for 165 games over thirteen seasons, in two [[History of the National Football League championship|NFL championship games]] and two [[Super Bowl]]s. He was also named [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player|most valuable player]] of [[Super Bowl V]], after intercepting two passes and forcing a fumble in the Cowboys' 16–13 loss to the [[1970 Baltimore Colts season|Colts]], making him the first defensive player and non-quarterback to receive the honor. To date, he is also the only player from the losing team to win the award. Howley stated that he did not care about the award, which meant nothing to him since Dallas had lost, and only accepted the honor because it included the awarding of a brand-new station wagon that he could give to his wife as a gift.<ref>{{cite web|first=Todd|last=Brock|url=https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2022/08/17/chuck-howley-hall-of-fame-senior-finalist/|title=Legendary Cowboys LB Chuck Howley named Hall of Fame senior finalist|work=cowboyswire.usatoday.com|date=August 17, 2022 |access-date=April 25, 2023}}</ref>

The following season, Dallas made it back to [[Super Bowl VI]], and Howley recorded a fumble recovery and a 41-yard interception in the Cowboys 24–3 win over the [[1971 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1241&dat=19720117&id=HkUPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8IUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6310,382996 | title=Dallas Dumps Dolphins | newspaper=The Daily News | date=January 17, 1972 | access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref>

During his career, Howley [[interception|intercepted]] 25 passes, returning them for 399 yards and two [[touchdown]]s. He finished with more than 100 yards in interception returns for both the [[1968 NFL season|1968]] and [[1971 NFL season|1971 season]]s. He also recovered 18 fumbles, returning them for 191 yards and one [[touchdown]]. He is second in Cowboys' history with his 17 fumbles recovered. His 97-yard return of a fumble during a game against the [[Atlanta Falcons]] on October 2, 1966, is still the second longest in Cowboys history. He also had a large number of tackles and [[quarterback sack]]s, but these statistics were not compiled until after Howley's career ended so his unofficial sack total is 26.5 according to the [[Dallas Cowboys]] with a career-high of 5.5 sacks in [[1965 NFL season|1965]]. Howley was named first-team [[All-Pro]] five times in his career, was a six-time [[Pro Bowl]]er and was named to the All-Eastern Conference team in [[1963 NFL season|1963]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2512&dat=19730601&id=zxJIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gQANAAAAIBAJ&pg=4821,82213 | title=Chuck Howley Retires From Pro Football | newspaper=The Morning Record | agency=Associated Press | page= 14 | date=June 1, 1973 | access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref>

Howley suffered a left knee injury from a crackback block by [[Charley Taylor]] in the win over rival [[1972 Washington Redskins season|Redskins]] late in the [[1972 Dallas Cowboys season|1972]] regular season.<ref name=lbclmirk >{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iTgcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_1kEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7249%2C1935303  |newspaper=Victoria Advocate |location=Texas |title=Illegal blocking claim irks Dallas' Alworth |date=December 13, 1972 |page=2B|access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref> He missed the [[1972–73 NFL playoffs|playoffs]] and retired in June.<ref name=dpoffbd>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0blQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5F8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4340%2C413697 |newspaper=St. Petersburg Times |agency=Associated Press |title=Dallas playoff-bound without Howley |date=December 11, 1972 |page=4C|access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref><ref name=injhmum>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qQVIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w4AMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6302%2C1785959 |newspaper=Victoria Advocate |location=Texas |agency=Associated Press |title=Injured Howley mum concerning retirement |date=December 12, 1972 |page=1B |access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref> In 1973, he made a brief return to the team and appeared in one game, before retiring for good.<ref name=dheret>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rWk0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=zQkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2748%2C3835677 |newspaper=Wilmington Morning Star |location=North Carolina |agency=UPI |title=Dallas' Howley ends retirement |date=September 19, 1973 |page=3C |access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref> His thirteen seasons for the Cowboys ties him for the second longest tenure in franchise history. In 1977, Howley was inducted into the [[Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor|Ring of Honor]] at [[Texas Stadium]], the fourth player to receive that honor. He also was inducted into the [[Texas Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tshof.org/store/p151/Chuck_Howley.html|title=Chuck Howley bio|website=Texas Sports Hall of Fame|access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref>

==Post-career==
In 2007, he was among the 17 finalists to be seniors candidates for the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]. On August 17, 2022, he was announced as one of the three finalists nominated by the senior committee for induction in the 2023 Hall of Fame class.<ref>{{cite web | last=DeArdo | first=Bryan | title=Joe Klecko, Ken Riley, Chuck Howley named as finalists for 2023 Hall of Fame induction | website=CBSSports.com | date=2022-08-17 | url=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/joe-klecko-ken-riley-chuck-howley-named-as-finalists-for-2023-hall-of-fame-induction/ | access-date=2025-08-03}}</ref> On February 9, 2023, Howley was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame<ref>{{Cite web |first=Nick|last=Eatman|title=After Long Wait, Chuck Howley Gets HOF Call |url=https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/after-long-wait-chuck-howley-gets-hof-call |date=February 9, 2023 |access-date=February 19, 2023 |website=dallascowboys.com}}</ref> and was formally enshrined on August 5, with his son Scott delivering a speech on his behalf.

==Personal life==
Howley married Nancy on June 28, 1958.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=ProFootballHOF |number=1674144720497307649 |title=Today is a special day for the Class of 2023's Chuck Howley.}}</ref>

Following retirement, he ran a uniform rental business in Dallas.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Mickey|last=Spagnola|title=Howley's Hall Inclusion Not A Moment Too Soon |url=https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/howley-s-hall-inclusion-not-a-moment-too-soon |date=August 19, 2022 |access-date=February 19, 2023 |website=dallascowboys.com}}</ref> In 1977, Howley founded Happy Hollow Ranch, a cattle and quarter horse operation near [[Wills Point, Texas]].<ref>
{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=August 14, 2020 |title=Happy Hollow Ranch |url=https://dallasfarmersmarket.org/happy-hollow-ranch |website=Dallas Farmers Market |access-date=January 14, 2025}}</ref>

Howley currently suffers from late-stage dementia.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Henthorn |first1=Nick |title=Chuck Howley Takes His Place In Pro Football Hall Of Fame |url=https://www.theintelligencer.net/news/top-headlines/2023/08/chuck-howley-takes-his-place-in-pro-football-hall-of-fame/#:~:text=Six%20pro%20bowls%2C%20five%20All,dementia%20and%20has%20trouble%20communicating. |website=theintelligencer.com |publisher=The Intelligencer |access-date=October 7, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yousuf |first=Saad |date=August 3, 2023 |title=Cowboys' Chuck Howley enters Hall of Fame, a reminder of an honor he's long deserved |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4734806/2023/08/03/chuck-howley-hall-of-fame-cowboys/ |access-date=October 7, 2023 |website=The Athletic |publisher=The Athletic Media Company}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Footballstats |nfl=Chuck-Howley
|espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |si= |pfr=HowlCh00 |dbf=HOWLECHU01}}
* [https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ring-of-honor-chuck-howley Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor: Chuck Howley]
* [https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/cowboys-top-50-players-11-15-293226 Dallas Cowboys Top 50 players]
* [https://wvusports.com/honors/wvu-sports-hall-of-fame/chuck-howley/151 West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame] – Chuck Howley
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120719051649/http://alumni.wvu.edu/awards/academy/chuck-howley West Virginia University – Academy of Distinguished Alumni] – Charles L. "Chuck" Howley

{{1958 NFL Draft}}
{{BearsFirstPick}}
{{Bears1958DraftPicks}}
{{Super Bowl VI}}
{{Super Bowl MVPs}}
{{Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor}}
{{2023 Football HOF}}
{{Pro Football Hall of Fame members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howley, Chuck}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American football linebackers]]
[[Category:Chicago Bears players]]
[[Category:Dallas Cowboys players]]
[[Category:Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:People from Wills Point, Texas]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Dallas]]
[[Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Wheeling, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Super Bowl MVPs]]
[[Category:West Virginia Mountaineers football players]]
[[Category:West Virginia Mountaineers men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:West Virginia Mountaineers wrestlers]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Van Zandt County, Texas]]