Latest news with #BillyHowton
Epoch Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Epoch Times
Packers Star Billy Howton, Believed to Have Been the Oldest Living NFL Player, Dies at 95
HOUSTON—Billy Howton, a former Green Bay Packers star regarded as one of the most productive wide receivers of the pre-Super Bowl era who was a founder and the first president of the NFL Players Association, has died. He was 95. Howton died in Houston on Monday, according to an obituary. Bradshaw-Carter Funeral Home confirmed his death on Friday.
Boston Globe
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Billy Howton, believed to have been the oldest living NFL player, dies at 95
'We are saddened by the passing of Billy Howton,' the NFLPA said in a post on X. 'He was a key figure in the NFLPA's formation & a pioneer for player rights. Because of Billy's advocacy as our first president, today's players have a pension, disability benefits & a voice of their own in the business of football.' Advertisement Howton scored the Packers' first receiving touchdown at Lambeau Field in 1957. He was a second-round selection by the Packers in 1952 and became the first NFL rookie with a 1,000-yard receiving season after recording 1,231 yards that year. He led the league in receiving yards twice, was named to four Pro Bowls and was a two-time All-Pro. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up He holds Green Bay's single-game franchise record with 257 receiving yards in a 1956 game against the Los Angeles Rams, and when he retired in 1963, he was the NFL's all-time leading receiver in receptions (503) and receiving yards (8,459). He was inducted into the Packer Hall of Fame in 1974. 'For my money, Howton is the toughest pass receiver to cover in the National League,' Hall of Fame safety Emlen Tunnell said before the 1958 season, which was Howton's last with the Packers. Advertisement After seven years in Green Bay, Howton was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 1959 and then to Dallas as a member of the Cowboys' inaugural team in 1960. He spent the rest of his career there, playing for coach Tom Landry with quarterbacks Eddie LeBaron and Don Meredith. Howton was a consistent presence in the NFLPA during its early years and attended every player rep meeting between 1956 and 1961. He represented the Packers at the first NFLPA meeting in 1956 and brought with him a list of four grievances that famously included a need for clean towels, shirts, and jock straps for second practices — when NFL teams held two practices a day. He was elected as the organization's first president in 1958 and threatened to bring an antitrust suit against the NFL if it didn't establish a pension plan for retired players. The league's pension plan was subsequently created in 1959. Howton was an All-American in college at Rice and is a member of the Rice Hall of Fame. He is survived by his three children, Karin, Kimberly, and William.
Fox News
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Billy Howton, Believed To Have Been Oldest Ex-NFL Player, Dies At 95
Billy Howton, a former Green Bay Packers star regarded as one of the most productive wide receivers of the pre-Super Bowl era who was a founder and the first president of the NFL Players Association, has died. He was 95. Howton died in Houston on Monday, according to an obituary. Bradshaw-Carter Funeral Home confirmed his death on Friday. Howton was born in Littlefield, Texas, in 1930. He was believed to have been the oldest living NFL player. Howton scored the Packers' first receiving touchdown at Lambeau Field in 1957. He was a second-round selection by the Packers in 1952 and became the first NFL rookie with a 1,000-yard receiving season after recording 1,231 yards that year. He led the league in receiving yards twice, was named to four Pro Bowls and was a two-time All-Pro. He holds Green Bay's single-game franchise record with 257 receiving yards in a 1956 game against the Los Angeles Rams, and when he retired in 1963, he was the NFL's all-time leading receiver in receptions (503) and receiving yards (8,459). He was inducted into the Packer Hall of Fame in 1974. "For my money, Howton is the toughest pass receiver to cover in the National League," Hall of Fame safety Emlen Tunnell said before the 1958 season, which was Howton's last with the Packers. After seven years in Green Bay, Howton was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 1959 and then to Dallas as a member of the Cowboys' inaugural team in 1960. He spent the rest of his career there, playing for coach Tom Landry with quarterbacks Eddie LeBaron and Don Meredith. Howton was an All-American in college at Rice and is a member of the Rice Hall of Fame. Reporting by The Associated Press.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Packers standout and first-ever player union president, Billy Howton, dead at 95
Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver and first-ever player union president, Billy Howton, has died, according to the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). Howton, who was 95, passed away Monday in Houston 'after a long and lucky life,' according to the Bradshaw-Carter funeral home obituary. The cause of death was not revealed. The Texan native was considered a pioneer of the NFLPA in its early days, representing the Packers in the organization's first board meeting, according to the players' union. He was later selected as the NFLPA's first player president in 1958, where he had an impactful two-year stint, according to the union. 'We are deeply saddened by the passing of Billy Howton,' the NFLPA said in a statement on Friday. 'He served as a central figure in the formation of the NFLPA and a pivotal pioneer for player rights. Because of Billy's advocacy as the union's first president, today's player members have a pension plan, disability coverage and most importantly, a voice of their own in the game and business of football.' Howton had a prolific playing career as well. The Packers selected him in the second round of the 1952 player draft and was the first-ever wide receiver to score a receiving touchdown at historic Lambeau Field, then known as City Stadium, per the Packers. His talent produced record-breaking stats. When he stepped away from football, he held NFL records for most career receptions and receiving yards, according to the Packers. He still owns the team record for most receiving yards in a single game, hauling in seven catches for 257 yards versus the Rams in 1957. In 1959, Howton was traded to the Cleveland Browns, where he played for one season. He later continued his playing career with the Dallas Cowboys before retiring after the 1963 season. He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1974, according to the franchise. Howton is survived by his three children, Karin, Kimberly, and William, his sister Sylvia Baker, and other extended family, according to the Bradshaw-Carter obituary.
New York Post
20 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Ex-Packer Billy Howton, believed to have been NFL's oldest living player, dead at 95
HOUSTON — Billy Howton, a former Green Bay Packers star regarded as one of the most productive wide receivers of the pre-Super Bowl era who was a founder and the first president of the NFL Players Association, has died. He was 95. Howton died in Houston on Monday, according to an obituary. Bradshaw-Carter Funeral Home confirmed his death on Friday. Howton was born in Littlefield, Texas, in 1930. He was believed to have been the oldest living NFL player. 'We are saddened by the passing of Billy Howton,' the NFLPA said in a post on X. 'He was a key figure in the NFLPA's formation & a pioneer for player rights. Because of Billy's advocacy as our first president, today's players have a pension, disability benefits & a voice of their own in the business of football.' 3 Billy Howton is pictured in 1958 after a conference on the feasibility of a player pension plan. AP Howton scored the Packers' first receiving touchdown at Lambeau Field in 1957. He was a second-round selection by the Packers in 1952 and became the first NFL rookie with a 1,000-yard receiving season after recording 1,231 yards that year. He led the league in receiving yards twice, was named to four Pro Bowls and was a two-time All-Pro. He holds Green Bay's single-game franchise record with 257 receiving yards in a 1956 game against the Los Angeles Rams, and when he retired in 1963, he was the NFL's all-time leading receiver in receptions (503) and receiving yards (8,459). He was inducted into the Packer Hall of Fame in 1974. 'For my money, Howton is the toughest pass receiver to cover in the National League,' Hall of Fame safety Emlen Tunnell said before the 1958 season, which was Howton's last with the Packers. 3 Billy Howton is pictured in 1956. The Enthusiast Network via Getty Images 3 Billy Howton is pictured in 1961. AP After seven years in Green Bay, Howton was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 1959 and then to Dallas as a member of the Cowboys' inaugural team in 1960. He spent the rest of his career there, playing for coach Tom Landry with quarterbacks Eddie LeBaron and Don Meredith. Howton was a consistent presence in the NFLPA during its early years and attended every player rep meeting between 1956 and 1961. He represented the Packers at the first NFLPA meeting in 1956 and brought with him a list of four grievances that famously included a need for clean towels, shirts and jock straps for second practices — when NFL teams held two practices a day. He was elected as the organization's first president in 1958 and threatened to bring an antitrust suit against the NFL if it didn't establish a pension plan for retired players. The league's pension plan was subsequently created in 1959. Howton was an All-American in college at Rice and is a member of the Rice Hall of Fame. He is survived by his three children, Karin, Kimberly and William.
