Dominated the game at defensive tackle and defensive end for the Los Angeles Raiders in the 1980s Wrecked havoc in the line of scrimmage against the game’s best Quarterbacks in the pass rush and also stopped the run
Part of the reason Howie's sack totals were lower than people would've thought was because unlike some of his DE counterparts he lined up everywhere regularly. It wasn't uncommon to see him at the 3-tech, 1-tech and 5 Tech as well as playing a usual defensive end alignment. Howie also demanded multiple blockers throughout the game. Reggie white said it best( I'm going to paraphrase) that they didn't block Howie they held him. Howie is definitely an Elite DE and deserved Hall of Fame honors
Players today are wimps,nothing like players of the past,players today get their feelings hurt what do they do? run to Facebook and Twitter,crying like babies.
In '85, after his game against the Bears, while walking to their cars he confessed to Lyle Alzado that he hadn't been SO beat-up in a game...since grade school. That's the very contest were, out of frustration, he began to cry...in the 3 rd. quarter.
In a way, I'm kind of sad I didn't see this era of football. I started getting into it in the early 2000s. Now there are too many rules. It used to be a man's game, where only the tough survived.
Most guys 6'5" tall, are tall because they have long legs. Howie was proportioned and that gave him tremendous upper body strength as well as a low center of gravity. Both elements that contributed to his overall power as a D-lineman
Howie Long #75 Career highlights and awards Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders (1981-1993) Super Bowl champion (XVIII) 8× Pro Bowl (1983-1987, 1989, 1992, 1993) 3× First-team All-Pro (1983-1985) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1986, 1989) NFL Hall of Fame Member (2000) NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985) NFL 1980s All-Decade Team Pro Football Hall of Fame selection
I've been asking for years why he is in the hall. It just dawned on me as to why. He played his whole career for the Raiders. Anyone that can play that long with such a shitty team without shooting themselves deserves the hall.
Wow. You have a point. He averaged less than a half sack a game during his career. Watching him in the 80's, I figured he had much more. Thanks for the info.
yes these fellows have more and are not in the Hall Kevin Green 160 Jason Taylor 139 1/2 Leslie O'Neal 132 1/2 Rickey Jackson 128 Neil Smith 104 JOHN ABRAHAM 122 Simeon Rice 122 Clyde Simmons 121 1/2 Sean Jones 113 JULIUS PEPPERS 111 1/2 DeMARCUS WARE 111 Greg Townsend 109 William Fuller 100.5 Pat Swilling 107 Trace Armstrong 106 Joey Porter 98.0 1999-2011 3TM Simon Fletcher 97.5 1985-1995 den Jacob Green 97.5 1980-1992 2TM Dexter Manley 97.5 1981-1991 3TM Robert Porcher 95.5 . Steve McMichael 95.0 1980-1994 3TM Terrell Suggs (30) 94.5 2003-2013 rav Henry Thomas 93.5 1987-2000 3TM Trevor Pryce 91.0 1997-2010 3TM Bryant Young 89.5 1994-2007 sfo Ken Harvey 89.0 1988-1998 2TM . Leonard Little 87.5 by the way im a Raider fan to have been since 1974
John Angell so what hes still a joke he only had 5.5 the following year and he statistics were hardly Hall of fame worthy from 1987 - to when he retired its ,not fair to all the rest
***** You do not get into the HoF based solely on QB sacks. He was the best run stopper of his era and played every down, as well as a leader in the locker room and on the field. No, he is not a joke.
