One of the greatest “miscarriages of justice” (in my humble opinion and thousands, maybe millions, of other Dallas Cowboys followers and fans in general) has finally seen the rightful induction of #54, linebacker, Super Bowl MVP, devoted family man and friend to so many, a humble man of few words, a player sometimes called “a quiet assassin,” a player that Tom Landry described as “better at linebacker than any other I have ever seen,” a man who was not at ease discussing his “greatness.”
CHUCK LOUIS HOWLEY was born in June of 1936 in Wheeling, West Virginia, and attended Warwood High School there. His college years were at West Virginia University in Morgantown, where he is the only athlete to ever earn five (5) varsity letters: track, wrestling, gymnastics, swimming, and (of course) FOOTBALL— and was the College Player of the Year in 1957. At his peak, Howley enjoyed a playing size of 6’ 3” tall and about 230 lbs. of muscle.
I could go on and on for a long time, but, like Mr. Howley, I will get to the right place and make the tackle. He earned MVP Honors in Super Bowl V against Baltimore with two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and numerous tackles and assists. He is the only player to be the MVP while on the losing team! When the Cowboys won their first Super Bowl title over Miami, he was one of the biggest reasons, according to many who were watching!
I have to mention that Mr. Howley reminds me of my father who was very much a realist and a man who tried to do what made the most sense. After winning the MVP award, he received a blue Dodge Charger (every boy’s dream) and proudly drove it for one whole day before trading it back in for something that was more practical—a “woody” station wagon (wood paneled). And, upon one occasion when he was asked to recount the 1967 NFL Championship Game, he replied, “It was cold!” For those who do not know, it was 15 degrees BELOW ZERO, and some players reportedly actually suffered frost bite!
And now the sad part of this happy story—Chuck Howley suffers from late-stage dementia and was not able to attend his “enshrinement,” and no one knows just how much (if anything) he understands about what exactly has happened. His son, Scott Howley, made the acceptance speech for his Dad and says his Dad can’t sit still too long at one time—the need for motion is now part of his life.
However, an article I recently read recounted a visit to Chuck Howley by Roger Staubach, Bob Lilly, Mel Renfro, Lee Roy Jordan, Cliff Harris, and Charlie Waters, who were there to deliver the news of their friend’s upcoming enshrinement. The word was that Chuck looked great and did, at times, seem to understand what exactly was going on and squeezed Lilly’s hand a few times when the group’s conversation warranted it. And, the group said they could tell that #54 was happy they were there and seemed at peace.
Chuck Howley was 1st Team All-Pro five times, was chosen for the Pro Bowl six times, the 4th player inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor, and is also a member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, among numerous other awards he received through the years.
He was initially drafted by the Chicago Bears and retired after a couple of injuryplagued (especially a “bad” knee) seasons.
Chicago traded his rights to the Dallas Cowboys, and there he played 165 games during 13 seasons, including 2 NFL Championship Games and 2 Super Bowls. Stories have it that he had decided to come out of retirement after playing in a college alumni game and feeling pretty good! He said he decided that there “were better things to do than run a gas station.” This was also when he switched from being an offensive lineman to a linebacker!
As Paul Harvey often said, “And that is the rest of the story!”
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