One of the earliest stars in the Cowboys galaxy has dimmed. Wide receiver Billy Howton died on Aug. 4, according to a Houston obituary. At 95, Howton was believed to have been the oldest living NFL player.
Howton rose to fame in the 1950s, a second-round draft pick by the Packers out of Rice University. Over seven losing seasons in Green Bay, he made four Pro Bowls, was a two-time first-team All-Pro, led the league in receiving twice, and was the first president of the NFL Players Association.
But Vince Lombardi traded Howton away upon his arrival in 1959, sending him to Cleveland for what turned out to be the only winning season of his pro career. He originally told the Browns he planned to retire before the 1960 season, but there was one more chapter of his NFL story to be written.
The Dallas Cowboys came into existence in 1960, and Howton wanted to return to his home state for one last ride. His request was granted, and the expansion Cowboys gave up a draft pick to acquire him.
Howton suffered through the team’s dreadful inaugural campaign but did provide one of the very few bright spots. It was his 11-yard touchdown grab of an Eddie LeBaron pass late in the fourth quarter of a Week 11 game at Yankee Stadium against the powerhouse New York Giants that tied things up, 31-31, in December 1960. The Dallas players celebrated like they had won a championship.
In truth, it was just the first non-loss in franchise history (after 10 straight defeats), but it led Howton to sign a three-year deal to stay with the Cowboys.
Howtonwent on to lead the Cowboys in receiving in 1961 and 1962 with back-to-back 700-yard seasons; his 56 receptions in 1961 were a personal best.
Howton actually became the NFL’s all-time receiving leader early in the 1963 season, at a time when the Cowboys lacked much else in the way of star power. He retired at the end of that year with 503 catches for 8,459 yards, walking away as the league’s all-time leader in both categories.
Passing stats have changed dramatically since then, but Howton’s totals still rank him in the NFL’s all-time top 100 in receiving yards, ahead of names like Greg Jennings, Golden Tate, and Sterling Sharpe. His 2,368 receiving yards as a Cowboy place him 28th among the franchise’s historical leaders, in front of notables including Joey Galloway, Preston Pearson, Pettis Norman, and Golden Richards.
Despite his accomplishments, Howton has never been a finalist or even a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Nevertheless, Howton lived “a long and lucky life,” according to his obituary.
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