Howard Stevens

Howard Melvin Stevens Jr. (born February 9, 1950, in Harrisonburg, Virginia ) is a former NFL running back who played for the New Orleans Saints and the Baltimore Colts.[1] He was one of the smallest players to play in the NFL and was the smallest during his 5 years in the league.[2]

Howard Stevens
No. 22, 27
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1950-02-09) February 9, 1950
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Career information
High school:Harrisonburg
(Harrisonburg, Virginia)
College:Louisville, Randolph-Macon
NFL Draft:1973 / Round: 16 / Pick: 392
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • Lead NFL in punt and kick-off returns (1974)
Career NFL statistics
Total all-purpose yards:4,271
Career touchdowns:4

College

Stevens started his college career at Randolph-Macon College, where he was named All-American in 1968 (honorable mention) and 1969 (second team).[3] On a team that won the Mason–Dixon Conference championship with a 9–0–0 record in his freshman year, he was the league Most Valuable Player as the NCAA College Division leader in scoring and rushing with 142 points and 1,468 yards respectively and was featured in Faces in the Crowd in the January 20, 1969 issue of Sports Illustrated.[4] He transferred to the University of Louisville where he earned a B.A. in Psychology.[5] Stevens played only two seasons for Louisville but has been inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame.[6] In 1972, Stevens was named to the United Press International, the Walter Camp and the Football News all-American football teams and the Associated Press Second Team.[7] The University of Louisville retired Stevens' jersey in 1972. He set a school record for rushing yards in a season with 1,429 yards in 1971 while scoring 12 touchdowns. He is currently ranked fourth all-time in school history with 2,723 rushing yards and is sixth with 25 career touchdowns.[8]

NFL

Stevens, who was listed at 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) tall and 165 lb (75 kg).,[9] was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 16th round (392nd overall) of the 1973 Draft.[10] He played two years for the Saints, lead the NFL in 1974 in kick-off and punt returns.[11] In 1975, Stevens was picked up by the Baltimore Colts where he was used exclusively as a kick-off and punt returner. During his tenure in the NFL, he was the league's smallest player,[2] rushed for a total of 376 yards on 89 carries and scored 4 touchdowns. As a kick returner he ran for 2336 yards on 103 returns. He returned 163 punts for 1,559 yards. He never returned a kick-off or punt for a touchdown.[12]

Later years

After leaving the Baltimore Colts, Stevens remained in the Baltimore area. He and his wife Joyce have three adult children.

References
  1. "All-Time Players". National Football league. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  2. "Runts in the Big League". Time. 1977-12-05. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  3. "R-MC Football All-Americans". Randolph-Macon College. Archived from the original on 2012-08-05. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
  4. "Faces in the Crowd," Sports Illustrated, January 20, 1969. Retrieved September 24, 2020
  5. "Howard Stevens". Pro Player Connect. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  6. "Athletic Hall of Fame". University of Louisville. Archived from the original on 2008-12-18. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  7. "All-Americans". University of Louisville. Archived from the original on 2008-12-18. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  8. "University of Louisville Football Post-Game Notes". University of Louisville. Archived from the original on 2012-07-17. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  9. "Who is the shortest NFL player?". NokiaSugarbowl. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  10. "Howard Stevens". Sports Reference.com. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  11. "1974 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". ProFootball References.com. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  12. "Stevens: Career Stats". NFL.com. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
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