Total Pro Sports
A former Green Bay Packers star has passed away this week, with Billy Howton’s terrestrial tenure coming to an end after an incredible 95 years.
ESPN Milwaukee broke the news of the former receiver, one of the many pre-Lombardi era Packers stars, dying 70 years after his swansong NFL appearance.
Howson, the oldest living ex-NFLer, played in the league for 12 years, spending his first seven with the Packers.
A three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, Howton led the league in receiving yards as a rookie, registering 1,231 yards and 13 touchdowns on just 53 receptions. He still holds the team’s single-game record for receiving yards by a rookie, having logged 257 in 1956.
He left Green Bay at the start of the Vince Lombardi era, as the team traded him to the Cleveland Browns for Bill Quinland and Lew Carpenter, who both contributed to several title runs during Lombardi’s iconic career as the team’s head coach.
Howton spent one year with the Browns before moving to the Dallas Cowboys, where he would spend the last four years of his career and was one of the only players who kept standards high on some of the worst teams in league history while Tom Landry was building a team that would go on to dominate the 1970s.
When he retired, Billy Howton was the NFL’s all-time leading receiver with 503 catches and 8,459 yards. He also leaves behind a legacy as the first president of the NFL Players Association, having helped form the organization, which he led from 1958 to 1962.
“We are saddened by the passing of Billy Howton. He was a key figure in the NFLPA’s formation & a pioneer for player rights,” the NFLPA shared on Friday. “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.”
His passing has prompted an outpouring of tributes, with fans and players alike taking to social media to voice their appreciation for his contributions on and off the field.
TPS wishes to pass on sympathies to his family, friends, and loved ones.
May he rest in peace.
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