Howie Long
Howard "Howie" Michael Long (born
January 9,
1960 in
Somerville, Massachusetts) played
football as a
defensive end, and was inducted into the
Hall of Fame in
2000. Long played
college football at
Villanova University. Drafted in the second round of the
1981 NFL Draft by the
Oakland Raiders, he would play 13 seasons for the club wearing the number 75. He attended Milford High School (Massachusetts) and is a member of the Milford Hall of Fame.
Long was a fearsome force on the Raiders defensive line. Long's signature defensive move was the "rip," which employed a quick, uppercut-like motion designed to break an opposing blocker's grip. Long utilized his quickness and strength to earn eight
Pro Bowl selections. Long collected 84
sacks during his career (7.5 are not official as sacks were not an official statistic during his rookie year). He also intercepted 2 passes and recovered 10 fumbles.
After his retirement from the
NFL following the
1993 season, Long pursued an acting career, focused mainly on
action films, including
Firestorm, a
1998 film in which he starred. He also appears in the movie
Broken Arrow alongside
John Travolta. He played a minor role in the movie
3000 Miles to Graceland, alongside
Kevin Costner,
Kurt Russell, and
Courteney Cox. Long also made numerous
cameo appearances on
TV shows and
commercials. He was a spokesman for
Radio Shack, making commercials with actress
Teri Hatcher. Some people mistakenly believe that Long and Hatcher are married given the sparring and closeness that are embodied in the commercials.
He is best known today as an analyst for the
FOX Network's NFL coverage, where he often plays the "
straight man" to the comic antics of co-host
Terry Bradshaw, whom Long
sacked several times as a player. He hosts an annual award show on FOX,
Howie Long's Tough Guys, in which he honors the NFL players whom he deems the toughest, and gives the toughest of them a
Chevrolet truck.
He is known for the military-style
crew cut hairstyle he has worn throughout much of his career.
Long has been married since
June 27,
1982 to the former Diane Addonizio and they have three sons, one of whom, Christopher, plays football at the
University of Virginia. Long will not travel on the same airplane as his wife for fear of orphaning their children.
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Howie Long - Pro Football Hall of Fame *
Howie Long Fan Page*
Howie Long Hall of Fame article from Sports Illustrated
