Desmond Howard: A Collegiate Career of Records, Awards, and the Iconic Pose

Desmond Kevin Howard, born May 15, 1970, in Cleveland, Ohio, is an American former professional football wide receiver whose collegiate career at the University of Michigan cemented his place in football history. His accomplishments in college set the stage for a successful, albeit unique, professional career and a subsequent role as a prominent football analyst.

Early Years and High School Success

Howard's journey to football stardom began at St. Joseph High School in Cleveland, where he excelled as a tailback. During his senior season in 1987, he earned All-American and All-Ohio honors, showcasing his versatility by scoring 18 touchdowns and accumulating a record-breaking 5,392 rushing yards. Further demonstrating his athletic prowess, he also intercepted 10 passes on defense. Howard earned three varsity letters each in track and football, as well as one in basketball.

Transition and Triumph at Michigan

Initially recruited to Michigan as a running back, Howard's path took an unexpected turn just three days into his first camp when he was moved to wide receiver. After a quiet freshman year, Howard's sophomore season marked his breakout. In 1989, he recorded 63 catches for 1,025 yards and 11 touchdowns, offering a glimpse of the brilliance to come.

The Heisman-Winning Junior Season

Howard's junior year in 1991 was nothing short of spectacular. His electrifying play, characterized by acrobatic catches and explosive returns, captivated the nation. He led the Big Ten Conference in scoring with 138 points, a first for a receiver in the conference. Throughout the season, he set or tied five NCAA records and established 12 single-season Michigan records.

Beyond receiving, Howard contributed significantly to the rushing attack, carrying the ball 12 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns. As a return specialist, he averaged 15.3 yards on punt returns (with one touchdown) and 31 yards on kick returns (also with one touchdown).

Read also: Tuition and Fees at Howard

Howard's outstanding performance earned him numerous accolades, including the Heisman Trophy, which he won by the second-largest margin in the trophy's history. He also received the Walter Camp Trophy and the Maxwell Award. In balloting for the Heisman, Howard captured 85% of the first-place votes, marking the largest margin in history at that time. Moreover, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American.

The Iconic Heisman Pose

A defining moment of Howard's Heisman-winning season came during the game against Ohio State. After scoring on a punt return, Howard spontaneously struck the pose of the player on the Heisman Trophy. This act, later described by Howard as a spur-of-the-moment decision, became an iconic image and a symbol of his remarkable season.

Ohio State coach John Cooper ordered his team to avoid giving Howard chances to score. The punt that Howard returned for a touchdown in the game was supposed to go out of bounds, so the Ohio State special teams players were unprepared for him. In the end zone, Howard wanted to do a backflip but, Howard later said, "chickened out"; instead he imitated the pose of the football player on the Heisman trophy bust, immediately receiving much media attention. Comparing his act to Muhammad Ali's taunting of opponents, Steve Rushin observed that although Howard's pose did not closely resemble that of the statue, "that looks more like the Heisman Trophy of our imagination than the Heisman trophy itself … thousands of people must have instantly picked up some object and tried to do the same thing". Howard later said that "all of a sudden, everyone was doing it"; many have imitated the act, including fellow athletes, celebrities, and Presidents George W.

Leaving a Legacy

Howard's impact on the University of Michigan football program is undeniable. He helped the Wolverines to three conference titles and two Rose Bowls. He finished his career with 134 receptions for 2,146 yards and 32 touchdowns and set the Michigan record for most touchdowns (23) and points (138) scored in a single-season. A three-year letterman, Howard was twice named an All-Big Ten first-team pick and set the Big Ten Conference single-season receiving touchdown record with 19. He was the inaugural Michigan Football Legend, a program honoring former players equivalent to a retired jersey number. Each Michigan player to wear Howard's No.

Following his stellar junior season, Howard declared for the 1992 NFL draft, leaving Michigan with a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications.

Collegiate Statistics and Records

Desmond Howard's college statistics speak volumes about his exceptional talent and impact on the game.

Sophomore Year (1989): 63 catches for 1,025 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Junior Year (1991): 61 passes for 960 yards and 19 touchdowns, 12 rushes for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns, averaged 15.3 yards on punt returns (with a TD) and 31 yards on kick returns (with a TD). He became the first receiver in Big Ten history to lead the conference in scoring (138 points) as he set or tied five NCAA records and 12 single-season Michigan records.

He set or tied five NCAA records and twelve school records, including 19 receiving touchdowns in a single season, the program's current all-time record.

NFL Career

Howard was selected by the Washington Redskins in the first round, fourth overall, of the 1992 NFL draft. The Redskins traded their two first-round picks - 6th and 28th - and their third-round choice (84th) to the Cincinnati Bengals for their first-round pick (4th) and their third-round pick (58th). Howard was the highest Redskins draft pick since they took Hall of Fame receiver Charley Taylor with the third pick in 1964.

Howard's NFL career spanned 11 seasons, during which he played for five different teams: the Washington Redskins (1992-1994), the Jacksonville Jaguars (1995), the Green Bay Packers (1996 and 1999), the Oakland Raiders (1997-1998), and the Detroit Lions (1999-2002). While he demonstrated receiving skills, his primary role was as a return specialist.

Super Bowl XXXI MVP

The pinnacle of Howard's professional career came in 1996 with the Green Bay Packers. That season, he led the NFL in punt returns (58), punt return yards (875), punt return average (15.1), and punt return touchdowns (3), also gaining 460 kickoff return yards. His 875 punt return yards were an NFL record, surpassing the old record of 692 yards set by Fulton Walker in 1985.

During the 1996 NFL postseason, Howard had a punt return for a touchdown in a game between the Packers and the San Francisco 49ers, and 46-yard punt return that set up another score. Desmond Howard's 99-yard kick return touchdown in the Superdome in Super Bowl XXXI Howard returns Adam Vinatieri's kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXI, January 26, 1997.

In Super Bowl XXXI against the New England Patriots, Howard delivered a performance for the ages. With the Packers leading 27-14 at halftime, but Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe led his team on a short drive that ended with Curtis Martin's 18-yard touchdown run to pull the Patriots within six points late in the third quarter. The Patriots boomed the ensuing kickoff to the one-yard line, but Howard effectively shattered the Patriots' hopes for a comeback with a 99-yard kickoff return for a Packers touchdown. His return and the Packers' subsequent two-point conversion closed out the scoring of the game, and the Packers eventually won 35-21. Howard totaled a Super Bowl record 90 punt return yards and 154 kickoff return yards with one touchdown; his 244 all-purpose yards also tied a Super Bowl record. His performance won him the Super Bowl MVP award, making Howard the only player to ever win the award based solely on a special teams performance.

Later Career and Retirement

After his Super Bowl-winning season, Howard signed with the Oakland Raiders. He led the NFL in kickoff returns (61) and kickoff return yards (1,381). In the middle of the 1999 season, Howard was cut by the Packers after subpar performance and multiple injuries. He was signed by the Detroit Lions four days later, where he spent the rest of his career until his retirement after the 2002 season. In a special homecoming, he scored a special teams touchdown in his Lions debut.

By the end of his 11 NFL seasons, Howard had caught 123 passes for 1,597 yards, rushed for 68 yards, returned 244 punts for 2,895 yards, and gained 7,595 yards returning 359 kickoffs. He also scored 15 touchdowns (7 receiving, 8 punt returns).

Post-Playing Career

Since 2005, Howard has worked as a college football analyst for ESPN. He has been an analyst on "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" since 2005 and also calls midweek games on ESPN. He also contributes to a number of ESPN shows and platforms, including "Get Up," "SportsCenter," and "College Football Live."

In 2010, Howard was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted into the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame, the University of Michigan Hall Of Honor, the State of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, and the Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame.

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