Desmond Howard

Heisman winner and Super Bowl MVP return specialist.

Desmond Kevin Howard is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the NFL for 11 seasons. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1991 while at Michigan and was selected fourth overall in the 1992 NFL draft. Howard is the only special teams player to be named Most Valuable Player of a Super Bowl, earning the honor in Super Bowl XXXI.

Quick Facts

Number: 80, 81, 82, 18
Position: Wide receiver
Born: 15 May 1970
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
High school: St. Joseph (Cleveland)
College: Michigan (1988–1991)
Draft year: 1992
Draft round: 1

Facts from the source article.

Did You Know?

Howard was born in Cleveland, Ohio and earned All-American and All-Ohio honors as a tailback at St. Joseph High School.
He served as the cover athlete for the college football video game NCAA Football 06.
Howard practices meditation.

College career

Desmond Howard played college football at the University of Michigan. Over three seasons, he set or matched five NCAA records and twelve school records, including 19 touchdown receptions in a single season, which still stands as the program's best. In 1991, he hauled in 62 passes for 985 yards and scored 23 total touchdowns, adding 180 rushing yards and 694 yards on special teams. That year, he led the nation with 19 receiving touchdowns and tied for the lead in scoring with 138 points.

Howard won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and Walter Camp Award, and was a unanimous All-American. He took 85 percent of the first-place Heisman votes, the largest margin ever at that time. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications in 1992. In 2010, he entered the College Football Hall of Fame and was named the first Michigan Football Legend.

He finished his college career with 249 rushing yards, 134 catches for 2,146 yards, 1,211 kickoff return yards, 339 punt return yards, and 37 touchdowns. Howard arrived at Michigan as a tailback and initially struggled for playing time. He credited counselor Greg Harden with building his confidence. In 2014, fan voting placed Howard on the Big Ten Network’s “Mount Rushmore of Michigan Football” alongside Charles Woodson, Tom Harmon, and Anthony Carter.

On November 28, 2015, his number 21 was retired in a ceremony before the Michigan–Ohio State game, joining the likes of Gerald Ford.

Professional career

The Washington Redskins traded up to grab Desmond Howard with the fourth overall pick in the 1992 NFL draft, sending their two first-round selections and a third-rounder to the Cincinnati Bengals for the pick. He was the team’s highest draft choice since Charley Taylor went third in 1964. Howard’s primary value over his 11-year career came as a return specialist rather than a receiver. In 1995, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him with the 55th pick in the expansion draft, and he played one season there, catching 26 passes for one touchdown and returning 10 kicks.

His standout year came in 1996 with the Green Bay Packers. He led the league in punt returns (58), punt return yards (875), punt return average (15.1), and punt return touchdowns (3), also adding 460 kickoff return yards and 13 receptions for 95 yards. His 875 punt return yards broke Fulton Walker’s 1985 record of 692. During the 1996 postseason against the San Francisco 49ers, Howard returned a punt for a touchdown and set up another score with a 46-yard return.

However, he missed the start of the third quarter after failing to leave the locker room, leaving the Packers with 10 men on the field for the kickoff; the 49ers recovered and scored. Despite that, the Packers won and advanced to Super Bowl XXXI against the New England Patriots.