Desmond Howard accomplished so much in his collegiate and professional career that the more you dig into it, the more impressive it becomes. Howard was born on May 15, 1970, in Cleveland, Ohio. Howard earned All-American and All-Ohio honors as a tailback during his senior season at St. Joseph High School in Cleveland. He scored 18 touchdowns and a record-breaking 5,392 rushing yards, as well as 10 interceptions on defense. He earned three varsity letters in track, football and basketball.
After his high school career, he chose to attend the University of Michigan, where his talents were put on display for the entire nation. e originally committed to playing running back at Michigan. However, three days into his first camp, he was moved to wide receiver. The rest, as they say, was history. After rarely being used his freshman year, he broke out as a sophomore. That year he recorded 63 catches for 1,025 yards and 11 touchdowns. Additionally, he showed his versatility by running for 58 yards and averaging 29.6 yards on kickoffs, with a touchdown return.
Desmond Howard Put The Nation On Notice During His Junior Year
Desmond Howard's junior season is when he showed that he was truly something special. His acrobatic catches and explosive returns made him one of the most electrifying players ever to play the college game. He became the first receiver in Big Ten history to lead the conference in scoring (138 points). He set or tied five NCAA records and had 12 single-season Michigan records. Howard caught 61 passes for 960 yards and an astounding 19 touchdowns.
He also rushed 12 times for 165 yards and two TDs. In his return game, he averaged 15.3 yards (with a TD) on punt returns and 31 yards on kick returns (with a TD). The All-American won the Heisman by the second-largest margin of victory in the trophy’s history. He was also awarded the Walter Camp Trophy and the Maxwell Award that year before graduating from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications. After his junior year, he declared for the 1992 NFL draft. The Washington Redskins selected him fourth overall.
Desmond Howard's NFL Career
Desmond Howard bounced around five different teams during his 11-year NFL career. Howard spent time with the Washington Redskins (1992-1994), Jacksonville Jaguars (1995), Green Bay Packers (1996 and 1999), Oakland Raiders (1997-1998) and Detroit Lions (1999-2002). The highlight of his career certainly came during the 1996 season with the Green Bay Packers. That season he led the NFL in punt returns (58), punt return yards (875) punt return average (15.1), and punt return touchdowns (three). He also recorded 460 kickoff return yards. His 875 punt return yards set an NFL record that year.
He continued his success during the 1996 post-season. Howard had a punt return for a touchdown in a game between the Packers and the San Francisco 49ers. He also had a 46-yard punt return that set up another score. The Packers would go on to win that game and face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. Late in the third quarter, Drew Bledsoe led the Patriots down the field to score a touchdown and trim the Patriots' deficit to six. The very next play, Desmond Howard would make history.
The Patriots boomed the ensuing kickoff to the one-yard line, but Howard effectively shattered the Patriots' hopes for a comeback with a 99-yard kickoff return for a Packers touchdown. His return and the Packers' subsequent two-point conversion closed out the game's scoring, and the Packers eventually won 35–21. Desmond Howard took home Super Bowl MVP honors. Desmond Howard also earned Pro Bowl honors with the Detroit Lions in 2000.
What Is Desmond Howard Doing Now?
Desmond Howard joined ESPN in 2005 as a college football analyst. He has been an analyst on the Emmy-Award winning "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" since 2005 and also calls midweek games on ESPN. He also contributes to a number of ESPN shows and platforms, including "Get Up," "SportsCenter," and "College Football Live." In 2011, Howard was selected for the College Football Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted into the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame, the University of Michigan Hall Of Honor, the State of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, and the Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. He currently resides in Miami, FL, with his family.
Desmond Howard Agent Contact Information
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