James Edward "Jim" Houston (born November 3, 1937 in Massillon, Ohio

Massillon, Ohio

Massillon is a city located in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio, approximately 8 miles to the west of Canton, Ohio, 20 miles south of Akron, Ohio, and 50 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio. The population was 32,149 at the 2010 census....

) is a former American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 linebacker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League

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...

 with the Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame

College Football Hall of Fame

The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...

 in 2006.

College career

Houston played for the Ohio State University

Ohio State University

The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...

 Buckeyes

Ohio State Buckeyes football

The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...

 as an end. He was a three-year starter under head coach

Head coach

A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

 Woody Hayes

Woody Hayes

Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University , Miami University , and Ohio State University , compiling a career college football record of 238–72–10.During his 28 seasons as the head coach of the Ohio...

 and twice the team MVP. He was elected the team captain as a senior.

Houston contributed on both offense and defense. Although known primarily for his excellent blocking and tackling, he was also the leading receiver on the 1959 team, including a 100-yard game that year against Michigan State

Michigan State Spartans

The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...

. He was an All-America

All-America

An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...

 selection in 1958 and 1959.

Houston was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame

Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame

The Ohio State Varsity "O" Hall of Fame is the athletic hall of fame for The Ohio State University. Its purpose is to recognize individuals who have contributed to the honor and fame of the University in the field of athletics....

 in 1979, and was named to the Ohio State Football All-Century Team

Ohio State Football All-Century Team

The Ohio State Football All-Century Team was chosen in early 2000 by the Touchdown Club of Columbus. It was selected to honor the greatest Ohio State Buckeyes football players of the 20th century...

 as a defensive end in 2000.

Year	Receptions	Yards	TD	Minutes per Game
1957	4	126	1	42
1958	4	127	2	56
1959	11	214	4	56
Total	19	467	7	51.3

Pro career

Houston was chosen in the first round of both the AFL draft by the Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 and the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. Like his older brother Lindell Houston

Lin Houston

Lindell Lee Houston was an American football guard who played eight seasons in the All-America Football Conference and in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns. He is the older brother of Jim Houston.Nicknamed "Mr...

, Jim Houston chose the Browns. He originally played as a defensive end under head coach Paul Brown

Paul Brown

Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...

, but later moved to linebacker under Blanton Collier

Blanton Collier

Blanton Long Collier was an American football coach who led the University of Kentucky and the Cleveland Browns...

. At linebacker he became a four-time Pro Bowl selection. In the 1969 NFC Conference Championship game against the Minnesota Vikings, Jim went to tackle Viking quarterback Joe Kapp low and Kapp tried to hurdle him. Kapp's knee hit Jim in the side of the head, knocking him out and breaking his jaw.