Howard, Desmond K.
Football
b. May 15, 1970, Cleveland, OH
After returning a punt for 93 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State in the last regular season game of his college career at Michigan, Howard struck a Heisman Trophy pose for photographers and cameramen. It was prophetic. He did indeed win the Heisman that year. He is one of only three wide receivers ever to win the award.
Although he played for a team that emphasized the run, Howard caught 19 touchdown passes in 11 games as a senior and had 30 touchdowns in 33 career games.
Chosen in the first round of the 1992 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins, Howard was used only sparingly as a wide receiver. He was an outstanding kickoff and punt returner for most of his NFL career, though.
The high point of his career came in Super Bowl XXXI, when he was with the Green Bay Packers. Immediately after the New England Patriots had cut the Green Bay lead to 27-21 late in the third quarter, Howard returned the kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown.
Earlier in the game, his 34-yard punt return had set up a Packer score. Howard was named the game's Most Valuable Player for his total of 244 return yards, 154 of them on four kickoff returns and 90 on six punt returns.
After the Super Bowl, Howard signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent. He spent two seasons there, then returned to Green Bay in 1999. However, the Packers cut him during the season and he was picked up by the Detroit Lions.
He was selected for the Pro Bowl for the only time in 2000 as the National Football Conference kick returner. Howard retired after the 2002 season.