Howard Stevens
Encyclopedia
Howard Melvin Stevens Jr. (born February 9, 1950, in Harrisonburg, Virginia
) is a former NFL
running back
who played for the New Orleans Saints
and the Baltimore Colts
. He was one of the smallest players to play in the NFL and was the smallest during his 5 years in the league.
, where he was named All-American in 1968 (honorable mention) and 1969 (second team) and then transferred to the University of Louisville
where he earned a B.A.
in Psychology
. Stevens played only two seasons for Louisville but has been inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame. In 1972, Stevens was named to the United Press International
, the Walter Camp and the Football News all-American football teams and the Associated Press
Second Team. The University of Louisville retired Stevens' jersey in 1972. He set a school record for rushing yards in a season with 1,429 yards in 1971 while scoring 12 touchdowns. He is currently ranked fourth all-time in school history with 2,723 rushing yards and is sixth with 25 career touchdowns.
in the 16th round (392nd overall) of the 1973 Draft. He played two years for the Saints, lead the NFL in 1974 in kick-off and punt returns. In 1975, Stevens was picked up by the Baltimore Colts where he was used exclusively as a kick-off and punt returner. During his tenure in the NFL, he was the league's smallest player, rushed for a total of 376 yards on 89 carries and scored 4 touchdowns. As a kick returner he ran for 2336 yards on 103 returns. He returned 163 punts for 1,559 yards. He never returned a kick-off or punt for a touchdown.
, the MSA is responsible for overseeing the building of new sports venues in the state of Maryland. He and his wife Joyce have three adult children and live in Baltimore County
.
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...
) is a former NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who played for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
. He was one of the smallest players to play in the NFL and was the smallest during his 5 years in the league.
College
Stevens started his college career at Randolph-Macon CollegeRandolph-Macon College
Randolph–Macon College is a private, co-educational liberal arts college located in Ashland, Virginia, United States, near the capital city of Richmond. Founded in 1830, the school has an enrollment of over 1,200 students...
, where he was named All-American in 1968 (honorable mention) and 1969 (second team) and then transferred to the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
where he earned a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Psychology
. Stevens played only two seasons for Louisville but has been inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame. In 1972, Stevens was named to the United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
, the Walter Camp and the Football News all-American football teams and the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
Second Team. The University of Louisville retired Stevens' jersey in 1972. He set a school record for rushing yards in a season with 1,429 yards in 1971 while scoring 12 touchdowns. He is currently ranked fourth all-time in school history with 2,723 rushing yards and is sixth with 25 career touchdowns.
NFL
Stevens, who was listed at 5 in 5 in (1.65 m) tall and 165 lb (74.8 kg)., was drafted by the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
in the 16th round (392nd overall) of the 1973 Draft. He played two years for the Saints, lead the NFL in 1974 in kick-off and punt returns. In 1975, Stevens was picked up by the Baltimore Colts where he was used exclusively as a kick-off and punt returner. During his tenure in the NFL, he was the league's smallest player, rushed for a total of 376 yards on 89 carries and scored 4 touchdowns. As a kick returner he ran for 2336 yards on 103 returns. He returned 163 punts for 1,559 yards. He never returned a kick-off or punt for a touchdown.
Later years
After leaving the Baltimore Colts, Stevens remained in the Baltimore area. He is currently a financial consultant and the owner of Stevens, Trager Financial which specializes in retirement financial planning and seminars. In 2005, Stevens was appointed to the Maryland Stadium AuthorityMaryland Stadium Authority
The Maryland Stadium Authority, MSA, was created by Chapter 283, Acts of 1986 Maryland General Assembly. Its initial mission was to return the National Football League to Baltimore. Maryland sought a new football team after former Baltimore Colts owner, Robert Irsay, moved the Colts out of the...
, the MSA is responsible for overseeing the building of new sports venues in the state of Maryland. He and his wife Joyce have three adult children and live in Baltimore County
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
.