BILL HOWTON - INDUCTEE #45
hall of fame fast fact:
In the regional meet high hurdles in Lubbock, the timer had Bill Howton in 13.1, which would have been a national record. "Everybody was going crazy until my coach, Henry Loter, pointed out that there were only nine hurdles on the track instead of 10," Howton said. "Some guy from Lubbock said he'd run the race over with me to see if I could set a record, but I only ran 14.4 or14.5."
Bill Howton
Former Plainview High star, Bill Howton was the first president of the National Football League Players Association in 1957. Howton laid the ground for today’s comfortable pension plan.
After making All-American and All-SWC as a tight end for Rice, Howton played 13 years in the NFL, making the Pro Bowl four times. A member of the Rice and Green Bay halls of honor, he set an NFL record for rookies with 13 TD receptions in 1952 and led the league in receiving with more than 1,000 yards in 1952 and 1956. His career high was 257 yards against the Rams. He averaged 18.4 yards per catch as a Packer, catching 303 passes for 5,581 yards and 43 touchdowns from 1952 to 1958. He finished his career with 503 receptions for 8,459 yards.
Howton retired after a banking career in Madrid, Spain.
