{{Short description|American football player (born 1961)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = David Howard | position = Linebacker | number = 99, 51 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|12|8|mf=y}} | birth_place = Enterprise, Alabama, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 2 | weight_lbs = 232 | suppdraftyear = 1984 | suppdraftround = 3 | suppdraftpick = 67 | high_school = Long Beach Polytechnic {{nowrap|(Long Beach, California)}} | college = Oregon State<br>Long Beach State | teams = * Los Angeles Express ({{USFL Year|1984}}–{{USFL Year|1985}}) * Minnesota Vikings ({{NFL Year|1985}}–{{NFL Year|1989}}) * Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|1989}}–{{NFL Year|1990}}) * New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|1991}}–{{NFL Year|1992}}) | highlights = * 2× All-PCAA (1982, 1983) * Second-team All-PCAA (1981) | statlabel1 = Games played | statvalue1 = 120 | pfr = HowaDa22 }}
'''David Howard''' (born December 8, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. He also was a member of the Los Angeles Express in the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football for the Oregon State Beavers and Long Beach State 49ers.
==Early life== Howard attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where he was the city co-player of the year in 1978. He accepted a football scholarship from Oregon State University and was a starter as a freshman at linebacker, but decided to transfer to Long Beach State at the end of the season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Conrad |first=John |date=October 29, 1980 |title=Beavers' Levasa the center of Orengon State's resolve |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19801029&id=su9VAAAAIBAJ&pg=6700,9205294&hl=en |access-date=February 19, 2018 |website=Eugene Register-Guard|via=Google News}}</ref>
He was named the starter at middle linebacker as a sophomore. As a senior, he registered 89 tackles (51 solo), 6 tackles for loss and 2 fumble recoveries. He finished his career with 242 tackles, 17 sacks, 6 interceptions and 16 passes defensed.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://web.csulb.edu/~d49er/fall98/v5n25-howard.html | title=Howard relives memories of LBSU football | website=California State University Long Beach | date=1998-10-06 | accessdate=February 19, 2018 | archive-date=2016-08-26 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826170204/http://web.csulb.edu/~d49er/fall98/v5n25-howard.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 1998, he was inducted into the Long Beach State Hall of Fame.
==Professional career==
===Los Angeles Express=== Howard was selected in the 1984 USFL Territorial Draft by the Los Angeles Express.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19840118&id=FqoyAAAAIBAJ&pg=3379,3010654&hl=en| title=Four ex-Jayhawks plan to join Express | accessdate=February 19, 2018}}</ref> He was a starter the two years he played for the team.
===Minnesota Vikings=== He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL players.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1984 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1984/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> In 1985, he replaced an injured Scott Studwell and received 4 starts after the twelfth game of the season. He registered 80 tackles, 5 passes defensed and 3 forced fumbles.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19851130&id=MAMiAAAAIBAJ&pg=3424,8808521&hl=en | title=Vikings QB Kramer hurting; Wilson to start against Eagles | accessdate=February 19, 2018}}</ref>
The next year, he was named the starter at right outside linebacker, posting 88 tackles (sixth on the team), 55 solo tackles, 2 passes defensed and 3 forced fumbles (tied for the team lead), despite missing three games with a hyper-extended right elbow.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19861028&id=NCdUAAAAIBAJ&pg=1265,8627882&hl=en | title=Vikings lose two | accessdate=February 19, 2018}}</ref>
In 1987, he played in 10 games (7 starts) after missing four games with a sprained ankle, recording 33 tackles (24 solo), 2 passes defensed and one interception.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19871113&id=hEBWAAAAIBAJ&pg=4887,3486291&hl=en | title=NFL injuries | accessdate=February 19, 2018}}</ref> The next year, he started in all the games, finishing with 46 tackles (31 solo), 3 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Against the Dallas Cowboys, he had 2 solo tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
On October 12, 1989, he was sent to the Dallas Cowboys as part of the Herschel Walker trade. At the time he started 3 games and had 15 tackles.
===Dallas Cowboys=== In 1989, his playing time was limited because there were conditional draft picks attached to the Vikings traded players and the Dallas Cowboys wanted the selections instead of keeping Howard and the others. Head coach Jimmy Johnson eventually had second thoughts on the February 1 deadline and traded three future draft choices (third-round and tenth-round in 1990 and a third-round in 1991) to the Vikings for the right to retain the original full package of draft choices, plus Howard, Issiac Holt and Jesse Solomon. He shared the strongside linebacker position with Jack Del Rio in the final eight games, playing in the second and fourth quarters. He finished the season with 18 tackles (9 solo) and one quarterback pressure in 11 games.
In 1990, he appeared in 16 games as a backup and made 11 tackles (3 solo). On April 19, 1991, after not having any starts during his time with the Cowboys, he was traded to the New England Patriots along with linebacker Eugene Lockhart, cornerback Ron Francis, a 1991 first round pick (#11 Pat Harlow), and a 1991 second round pick (#41 Jerome Henderson), in exchange for the first overall draft pick of the 1991 NFL draft (Russell Maryland).<ref>{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1957&dat=19910423&id=oHUhAAAAIBAJ&pg=1450,5882795&hl=en | title=Pats receive Lockhart | accessdate=February 19, 2018}}</ref>
===New England Patriots=== In 1991, he played in all 16 games (5 starts) at right outside linebacker, registering 60 tackles (40 solo), 3 passes defensed and one sack.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.courant.com/1992/10/25/patriots-have-howard-wondering/ |title=Patriots Have Howard Wondering |website=Articles.courant.com |date=1992-10-25 |access-date=February 19, 2018}}</ref>
The next year, he played in 16 games (10 starts), finishing with 78 tackles (59 solo), 3 forced fumbles (tied team lead), 2 special teams tackles and one interception. He was released on July 24, 1993, after having a difference of opinion about his sprained toe with new head coach Bill Parcells.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=19930725&id=l5VGAAAAIBAJ&pg=6662,5372755&hl=en | title=Parcells kicks Howard out | accessdate=February 19, 2018}}</ref>
David is CEO of Empower Me Inc. David is also founder of Urban Village Family Services and Stop Six Realty LLC.
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[http://archive.patriots.com/alumni/index.cfm?ac=alumnibiosdetail&bio=18188 New England Patriots bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412123756/http://archive.patriots.com/alumni/index.cfm?ac=alumnibiosdetail&bio=18188 |date=2015-04-12 }} *[http://www.longbeachstate.com/trads/hof/howard-david.html Long Beach State Hall of Fame bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413212710/http://www.longbeachstate.com/trads/hof/howard-david.html |date=2015-04-13 }} *[https://painresource.com/athlete-pain-management/athlete-pain-management-video-interview-with-david-howard/ Video Interview on Pain Resource]
{{Vikings1984SupDraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, David}} Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Long Beach, California Category:American football linebackers Category:Oregon State Beavers football players Category:California State University, Long Beach, alumni Category:Long Beach State 49ers football players Category:Los Angeles Express players Category:Minnesota Vikings players Category:Dallas Cowboys players Category:New England Patriots players Category:Long Beach Polytechnic High School alumni Category:Players of American football from Enterprise, Alabama