27 Facts About Chuck Howley

Charles Louis Howley was born on June 28,1936 and is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 15 seasons in the National Football League, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys.

Chuck Howley 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.

Chuck Howley was named the MVP of Super Bowl V and is the only player on a losing team to receive the award.

Chuck Howley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

Chuck Howley initially enrolled at Wheeling Central Catholic High School, before transferring to Warwood High School.

Chuck Howley accepted a football scholarship from West Virginia University in Morgantown, where he was a three-time All-Southern Conference selection and the conference player of the year in 1957.

At WVU, Chuck Howley joined the Mu Mu chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Chuck Howley played in the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl, which helped him get noticed by the Chicago Bears.

Chuck Howley is the only athlete in school history to letter in five sports: football, track, wrestling, gymnastics, and swimming.

Chuck 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.

Chuck Howley was selected seventh overall in the 1958 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, playing for two seasons before retiring after what appeared to be a career-ending knee injury he sustained in August 1959, at training camp in Rensselaer, Indiana.

Chuck Howley played just three games late in that season and was inactive in 1960.

Chuck Howley returned to West Virginia that year to take a job running a filling station, planning to permanently retire from professional football.

Chuck Howley decided to make a comeback in 1961 following a West Virginia alumni game.

Chuck Howley holds the record for the second-most interceptions by a linebacker in a season with six, which he accomplished in 1968.

Chuck Howley played with the Cowboys for 165 games over thirteen seasons, in two NFL championship games and two Super Bowls.

Chuck 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.

Chuck Howley finished with more than 100 yards in interception returns for both the 1968 and 1971 seasons.

Chuck Howley recovered 18 fumbles, returning them for 191 yards and one touchdown.

Chuck Howley is second in Cowboys' history with his 17 fumbles recovered.

Chuck Howley had a large number of tackles and quarterback sacks, 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.

Chuck Howley was named first-team All-Pro five times in his career, was a six-time Pro Bowler and was named to the All-Eastern Conference team in 1963.

Chuck Howley suffered a left knee injury from a crackback block by Charley Taylor in the win over rival Redskins late in the 1972 regular season.

In 1977, Chuck Howley was inducted into the Ring of Honor at Texas Stadium, the fourth player to receive that honor.

Chuck Howley was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

On February 9,2023, Chuck Howley was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was formally enshrined on August 5, with his son Scott delivering a speech on his behalf.

In 1977, Chuck Howley founded Happy Hollow Ranch, a cattle and quarter horse operation near Wills Point, Texas.