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Forbes #1
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2013
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And Chuck Howley.
Fuckin HOF voters. Late stage dementia to the point where his son has to replace him.
Travesty what the HOF voters have done making Cowboys wait - posthumous induction for Bob Hayes. Senior committee for Rayfield Wright, Pearson, Cliff Harris.
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FRISCO, Texas – Back when he was just a kid, Chuck Howley's son, Scott, without ever seeing his dad play linebacker for the Cowboys, knew his career had been something special.
He had read the stats, the accolades, and most of all knowing Chuck Howley is the only player in NFL history to be named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player from a losing team. That was back in 1970, when the Cowboys lost Super Bowl V to the Baltimore Colts, 16-13, in their first of five appearances that decade.
So the young Howley, like in middle school, took matters into his own hands. He knew Chuck's teammates, like Bob Lilly and Mel Renfro, had been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame by 1981. Why, the Cowboys thought so much of his dad, Howley became the fourth Cowboys player, along with Lilly, Don Perkins and Don Meredith, inducted into their very own Ring of Honor by 1977.
Something with the Pro Football Hall of Fame was just not sitting right with Scott. His dad had finished his 15-year playing career in 1973, 13 of those with the Cowboys starting in 1961. After his five-year wait, Howley would have been eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1978. But nothing, as if being a five-time first team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler was not qualification enough for, at the very least, finalist qualification. Not to mention as if being a Super Bowl champion, compiling four playoff interceptions in 11 games and owning a 44-yard fumble return for a touchdown was not worthy enough.
Son Scott took matters into his own hands.
"I remember as a kid I wrote a letter to the Hall of Fame at one point," Scott said, advocating for his dad's cause, not exactly knowing the protocol of how the vetting process works with the now 49-member voting committee. "And I got a response, and they said he's always had enough votes to stay on the ballot, but he never really advanced beyond that."
Well, finally, at long-deserving last, Chuck Howley has advanced all the way to Canton, Ohio, now 45 years later since his first year of eligibility, thanks to the Senior Committee nomination, with the Pro Football Hall of Fame announcement coming on Thursday night during the nationally televised NFL Honors show.
It is bittersweet.
Sweet that Howley, along with Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware, became the 21st and 22nd members of the franchise heading into the Hall of Fame, the ceremony scheduled for Aug. 5. The committee finally righted a long-standing wrong, the late Cowboys head coach and Hall of Famer himself Tom Landry saying back then, "I don't know if I've ever seen anybody better at linebacker than Howley."
Finally, at least 80 percent of this year's voting committee agreed.
But the somewhat bitter part: At 86 years old and in the late stages of dementia, Chuck Howley was unable to be in Phoenix for the ceremony, to hear his name called in person, to walk onto that stage, one of nine members in the Class of 2023 – five modern-era inductees along with the two other Senior members, the late Ken Riley, Joe Kleko and the late contributor/coach Don Coryell.
No, he wasn't there, but Scott Howley was there for his dad once again. He strode onto the stage to shake hands and embrace presenting Hall of Famer Mel Blount, who announced Howley's inclusion, Blount saying of Chuck Howley at the end, "He was a bad man."
Don't know about you guys, but couldn't help from becoming a tad emotional, not only from hearing Howley's name finally called and knowing the backstory to his entire career, and taking into account his physical limitations, but watching a very proud son, Scott, walk out onto the stage representing his dad, albeit admitting to being a tad nervous, saying he was encouraged by Ronde Barber, the next member being introduced with, "I got your back."
"It is bittersweet," Scott told me on the phone this afternoon of having to represent his dad at the awards ceremony. "Every event, every function I'm going to, people I'm talking to, I just feel so bittersweet about it and wish my dad was capable of being in my place instead of me being here. I wish it was him here."
Now, the Hall of Fame came to the Howley's home about a month ago to officially inform Chuck and family members he was going into the Hall. And several Gold Jacket Cowboys arrived for the announcement: Roger Staubach, Bob Lilly, Cliff Harris, Mel Renfro, along with Lee Roy Jordan and Charlie Waters.
"Roger came in and told Dad, 'Hey, you made it into the Hall of Fame.' I think he understood," Scott said.
Scott remembers when the Hall representatives came over during the summer to tell his dad that he was a finalist, but Chuck Howley really didn't understand fully why Hall rep John McClain was there.
"But the caregiver we've had was talking to Dad after they left and I had left," Scott said. "He called me, and said, 'Yeah was talking to your dad, trying to get him to understand that he had made it in as a finalist into the Hall of Fame,' and he said at that moment, Dad opened his eyes up, looked at him and said, 'Well, I'm going to need a new suit.'
"So, at that moment, he got it, he knew he was a finalist, and now I hope that because Roger and Bob were there to tell him he's in, he's inducted, I hope he has that same clarity of mind at some point to realize."
As for actually attending the induction ceremony, at this point Scott Howley is somewhat doubtful, saying, "It would be very difficult for him. He can't handle of lot of sensory input, the crowd, and the regiment of the schedule would be hard."
Once again, another reason why the Senior Committee needs to continue doing a good job of getting these older players inducted when they not only are still alive but also when they have clarity of mind of what is taking place.
Nice story. Sad story. But maybe now you better understand the emotion of watching this unfold Thursday night.
Come on, if you had known all this, you had to shed a tear or three with me, right, over Chuck Howley.
Spagnola: Shedding Tears During NFL Honors
Chuck Howley finally made the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but the special moment was somewhat bittersweet. Plus, the Cowboys were front and center at last night’s NFL Honors show.
www.dallascowboys.com
