Joe Horn
Encyclopedia
Joseph Horn is a retired American football
wide receiver
. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs
in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft
, and also played for the New Orleans Saints
and Atlanta Falcons
. He played college football
at Itawamba Community College
.
, where he played for legendary coach Bob Paroli. He stood out as a quarterback
, tailback
,wide receiver, and punter. He was only voted to the Mid-South 4A All-Star team as a punter
. Horn was also a standout basketball player in which he started every game for the Douglas Byrd Eagles as a point guard. Horn originally signed with the University of South Carolina
. However, his academic performance and SAT
score were insufficient for Division I schools.
(1991–1992) at Itawamba Community College
in Fulton, Mississippi
. At Itawamba, he picked up 54 catches for 878 yards and seven touchdowns as a wide receiver and a punt returner. Still unable to qualify for Division I college football,he returned to Fayetteville and worked at a fast food restaurant and at a furniture factory.
and was signed to the practice squad, but never played in a game for the team. Horn was signed as a free agent by the CFL Shreveport Pirates
in May 1995. Horn was traded to the Memphis Mad Dogs
in June 1995. With Memphis, Horn played well, with 77 catches for more than 1,000 yards, and caught the attention of NFL scouts.
in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft
. He was mainly relegated to special teams and reserve duty at WR during his four seasons with the Chiefs. In his years there, he garnered 879 yards on 53 receptions with seven touchdowns, starting only two games. The New Orleans Saints acquired Horn as a free agent in 2000.
four out of his seven years with the Saints, and set franchise records for receiving yards (1,399), and receiving touchdowns (11-shared with Marques Colston
) in a single season as well as career receiving touchdowns. Horn is also the Saints' all-time leader in 100-yard receiving games at 27. Horn had a career year in 2004 with his 1,399 receiving yards being second most in the league. His total was only six yards behind Carolina Panthers
WR Muhsin Muhammad
. The Saints signed Horn to a six-year contract extension in 2005.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina
, Horn was noted for his support for the people of New Orleans and the Gulf region. As a leader of the Saints, he served as a public face of the team in many community events in recent months. He frequently visited evacuees in both San Antonio and the Houston Astrodome during the aftermath of Katrina. He criticized the NFL for not making a greater effort to care for the future of the Saints during this time of crisis.
After the 2006 season the Saints asked the then 35-year old receiver (who had suffered a groin injury during the 2006 season and had hamstring injuries in the past) to accept a pay cut. He refused and asked to be released. He was cut soon after his request.
. He signed a 4-year, $15 million contract with Atlanta. Later, in 2008, he requested to be traded from the team saying he didn't want to be a "just-in-case guy" for the Falcons. On August 19, 2008, the Falcons cut him. In his only season with the Falcons he made 27 receptions for 243 yards and one touchdown in 12 games.
Always a spirited and outspoken player, Horn gained notoriety for a memorable touchdown celebration on ESPN Sunday Night Football
against the New York Giants
during the 2003 season. After scoring his second touchdown in a game in which he would score four, he pulled a cell phone
with the help of fellow team-mate Michael Lewis out from underneath the goalpost padding and pretended to make a call. Horn's prank drew a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct and a $30,000 fine by the NFL. He later stated that he did not realize what he had done right away. The Next What If: This Horn Truly Blows] This celebration was later used in the videogame Blitz: The League
which allows excessive celebrations.
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...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft
1996 NFL Draft
The 1996 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996...
, and also 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 Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College, formerly known as Itawamba Junior College, is a community college in Mississippi, United States, with two campuses; the main campus is located in Fulton, and a branch campus in Tupelo that mainly handles technical education programs. It serves Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lee,...
.
Early years
Horn attended Douglas Byrd High School in Fayetteville, North CarolinaFayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
, where he played for legendary coach Bob Paroli. He stood out as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, tailback
Tailback
Tailback can mean:* Halfback * A line of motor vehicles caught up in traffic congestion; a traffic jam...
,wide receiver, and punter. He was only voted to the Mid-South 4A All-Star team as a punter
Punter (football position)
A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...
. Horn was also a standout basketball player in which he started every game for the Douglas Byrd Eagles as a point guard. Horn originally signed with the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
. However, his academic performance and SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
score were insufficient for Division I schools.
College career
Horn played two years of college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
(1991–1992) at Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College, formerly known as Itawamba Junior College, is a community college in Mississippi, United States, with two campuses; the main campus is located in Fulton, and a branch campus in Tupelo that mainly handles technical education programs. It serves Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lee,...
in Fulton, Mississippi
Fulton, Mississippi
Fulton is a city in Itawamba County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 3,882 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Itawamba County.This city is part of the Tupelo Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. At Itawamba, he picked up 54 catches for 878 yards and seven touchdowns as a wide receiver and a punt returner. Still unable to qualify for Division I college football,he returned to Fayetteville and worked at a fast food restaurant and at a furniture factory.
CFL
Horn tried out for the CFL Baltimore StallionsBaltimore Stallions
The Baltimore Stallions were a Canadian Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland, which played the 1994 and 1995 seasons. They were the most successful American team in the Canadian Football League, having two winning seasons and a division title. In 1995 they became the only American team...
and was signed to the practice squad, but never played in a game for the team. Horn was signed as a free agent by the CFL Shreveport Pirates
Shreveport Pirates
The Shreveport Pirates were a Canadian Football League team, playing at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, in 1994 and 1995....
in May 1995. Horn was traded to the Memphis Mad Dogs
Memphis Mad Dogs
The Memphis Mad Dogs were a Canadian football team that played the 1995 season in the Canadian Football League. The Mad Dogs were part of a failed attempt to expand the CFL into the United States....
in June 1995. With Memphis, Horn played well, with 77 catches for more than 1,000 yards, and caught the attention of NFL scouts.
Kansas City Chiefs
Horn was drafted by the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft
1996 NFL Draft
The 1996 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996...
. He was mainly relegated to special teams and reserve duty at WR during his four seasons with the Chiefs. In his years there, he garnered 879 yards on 53 receptions with seven touchdowns, starting only two games. The New Orleans Saints acquired Horn as a free agent in 2000.
New Orleans Saints
Given a starting role with the Saints, "Hollywood", a nickname he picked up while with the Kansas City Chiefs for his particular style of dress and a name which carries to this day, quickly proved himself to be a premiere NFL receiver. He was selected to the Pro BowlPro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
four out of his seven years with the Saints, and set franchise records for receiving yards (1,399), and receiving touchdowns (11-shared with Marques Colston
Marques Colston
Marques Colston is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft as a supplemental compensatory pick. Following the trade of receiver Donté Stallworth, Colston was inserted into the starting lineup for week 1 of...
) in a single season as well as career receiving touchdowns. Horn is also the Saints' all-time leader in 100-yard receiving games at 27. Horn had a career year in 2004 with his 1,399 receiving yards being second most in the league. His total was only six yards behind Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
WR Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad II is a retired American football wide receiver who played for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
. The Saints signed Horn to a six-year contract extension in 2005.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, Horn was noted for his support for the people of New Orleans and the Gulf region. As a leader of the Saints, he served as a public face of the team in many community events in recent months. He frequently visited evacuees in both San Antonio and the Houston Astrodome during the aftermath of Katrina. He criticized the NFL for not making a greater effort to care for the future of the Saints during this time of crisis.
After the 2006 season the Saints asked the then 35-year old receiver (who had suffered a groin injury during the 2006 season and had hamstring injuries in the past) to accept a pay cut. He refused and asked to be released. He was cut soon after his request.
Atlanta Falcons
In early March 2007, Horn started negotiations with the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He signed a 4-year, $15 million contract with Atlanta. Later, in 2008, he requested to be traded from the team saying he didn't want to be a "just-in-case guy" for the Falcons. On August 19, 2008, the Falcons cut him. In his only season with the Falcons he made 27 receptions for 243 yards and one touchdown in 12 games.
Retirement
Horn worked out for the Lions, Giants, and Titans, but they ultimately passed and he did not play in the 2008 or 2009 seasons. In May 2010, Horn was selected for induction into the Saints Hall of Fame. On June 23, 2010 it was announced that Horn had signed a contract with the Saints. Two days later, on June 25, it was announced that Horn would officially retire from football as a member of the Saints.Cell Phone Celebration
Always a spirited and outspoken player, Horn gained notoriety for a memorable touchdown celebration on ESPN Sunday Night Football
ESPN Sunday Night Football
ESPN Sunday Night Football is the ESPN cable network's weekly television broadcasts of Sunday evening National Football League games. The first ESPN Sunday night broadcast occurred on November 8, 1987, while the last one aired on January 1, 2006....
against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
during the 2003 season. After scoring his second touchdown in a game in which he would score four, he pulled a cell phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
with the help of fellow team-mate Michael Lewis out from underneath the goalpost padding and pretended to make a call. Horn's prank drew a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct and a $30,000 fine by the NFL. He later stated that he did not realize what he had done right away. The Next What If: This Horn Truly Blows] This celebration was later used in the videogame Blitz: The League
Blitz: The League
Blitz: The League is an American football game by Midway as an unlicensed extension of their NFL Blitz series. Released after the NFL signed an exclusive licensing deal with Electronic Arts, it was released in October 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Lawrence Taylor, who provides voice acting...
which allows excessive celebrations.