Editing Chuck Howley (section)

==Professional career==

===Chicago Bears===
Howley was selected seventh overall in the [[1958 NFL draft]] by the [[1958 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]], playing for two seasons before retiring after what appeared to be a career-ending knee injury he sustained in August [[1959 Chicago Bears season|1959]], at training camp in [[Rensselaer, Indiana]].<ref name=bllbmsupi >{{cite news |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=UPI |title=Bears lose linebacker |date=August 12, 1959 |page=3, part 2 }}</ref> He played just three games late in that season and was inactive in [[1960 Chicago Bears season|1960]].<ref name=cbsgnexb>{{cite news |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=Associated Press |title=Cowboys sign Howley, ex-Bear |date=June 14, 1961 |page=2, part 2 }}</ref> He returned to West Virginia that year to take a job running a [[filling station]], planning to permanently retire from professional football.

Howley decided to make a comeback in [[1961 Chicago Bears season|1961]] following a West Virginia alumni game. The Bears traded his rights to the [[1961 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]] in exchange for second (#20-[[Steve Barnett (American football)|Steve Barnett]]) and ninth (#118-Monte Day) round draft choices in the [[1963 NFL draft]].<ref name=cbsgnexb/><ref>{{cite web|last=Mayer|first=Larry|url=https://www.chicagobears.com/news/these-bears-draft-picks-gained-fame-in-other-areas-9963134|title=These Bears draft picks gained fame in other areas|publisher=[[Chicago Bears]]|date=April 25, 2013|access-date=April 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428074306/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/These-Bears-draft-picks-gained-fame-in-other-areas/ec6dca7b-ad41-43ac-839c-e61e0197ecc9|archive-date=April 28, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Dallas Cowboys===
Dallas had gone 0–11–1 in their inaugural season prior to acquiring Howley, but he was still eager to play for the new team. "I went back because I decided there were better things to do than run a gas station," he said. "Also, I thought it would be a unique opportunity to play for Dallas, a team that was just getting started.”<ref>{{Cite news|last=Judge|first=Clark|url=https://talkoffametwo.com/nfl/chuck-howley-and-hall-of-fame|title = Trying to make sense of why Chuck Howley isn't in the Hall|newspaper=Talk of Fame |date=July 18, 2020|access-date=April 25, 2023}}</ref>

Although Howley started in [[1961 Dallas Cowboys season|1961]] and [[1962 Dallas Cowboys season|1962]] as a [[strongside linebacker]], in [[1963 Dallas Cowboys season|1963]] he switched to [[weakside linebacker]]. At the conclusion of the 1963 season, Howley was named to ''[[The Sporting News]]'' All-East NFL team for the first time. Howley holds the record for the second-most interceptions by a linebacker in a season with six, which he accomplished in {{NFL Year|1968}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/photos/mind-blowing-stats-for-week-5-of-the-2013-nfl-season-0ap2000000254639|title=Mind-blowing stats for Week 5 of the 2013 NFL season|work=[[National Football League]]|date=October 2, 2013|access-date=April 25, 2023}}</ref>

Howley played with the Cowboys for 165 games over thirteen seasons, in two [[History of the National Football League championship|NFL championship games]] and two [[Super Bowl]]s. He was also named [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award|most valuable player]] of [[Super Bowl V]], after intercepting two passes and forcing a fumble in the Cowboys' 16–13 loss to the [[1970 Baltimore Colts season|Colts]], making him the first defensive player and non-quarterback to receive the honor. To date, he is also the only player from the losing team to win the award. Howley stated that he did not care about the award, which meant nothing to him since Dallas had lost, and only accepted the honor because it included the awarding of a brand-new station wagon that he could give to his wife as a gift.<ref>{{cite web|first=Todd|last=Brock|url=https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2022/08/17/chuck-howley-hall-of-fame-senior-finalist/|title=Legendary Cowboys LB Chuck Howley named Hall of Fame senior finalist|work=cowboyswire.usatoday.com|date=August 17, 2022 |access-date=April 25, 2023}}</ref>

The following season, Dallas made it back to [[Super Bowl VI]], and Howley recorded a fumble recovery and a 41-yard interception in the Cowboys 24–3 win over the [[1971 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1241&dat=19720117&id=HkUPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8IUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6310,382996 | title=Dallas Dumps Dolphins | newspaper=The Daily News | date=January 17, 1972 | access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref>

During his career, Howley [[interception|intercepted]] 25 passes, returning them for 399 yards and two [[touchdown]]s. He finished with more than 100 yards in interception returns for both the [[1968 NFL season|1968]] and [[1971 NFL season|1971 season]]s. He also recovered 18 fumbles, returning them for 191 yards and one [[touchdown]]. He is second in Cowboys' history with his 17 fumbles recovered. His 97-yard return of a fumble during a game against the [[Atlanta Falcons]] on October 2, 1966, is still the second longest in Cowboys history. He also had a large number of tackles and [[quarterback sack]]s, but these statistics were not compiled until after Howley's career ended so his unofficial sack total is 26.5 according to the [[Dallas Cowboys]] with a career-high of 5.5 sacks in [[1965 NFL season|1965]]. Howley was named first-team [[All-Pro]] five times in his career, was a six-time [[Pro Bowl]]er and was named to the All-Eastern Conference team in [[1963 NFL season|1963]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2512&dat=19730601&id=zxJIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gQANAAAAIBAJ&pg=4821,82213 | title=Chuck Howley Retires From Pro Football | newspaper=The Morning Record | agency=Associated Press | page= 14 | date=June 1, 1973 | access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref>

Howley suffered a left knee injury from a [[Glossary of American football#C|crackback block]] by [[Charley Taylor]] in the win over rival [[1972 Washington Redskins season|Redskins]] late in the [[1972 Dallas Cowboys season|1972]] regular season.<ref name=lbclmirk >{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iTgcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_1kEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7249%2C1935303  |newspaper=Victoria Advocate |location=Texas |title=Illegal blocking claim irks Dallas' Alworth |date=December 13, 1972 |page=2B|access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref> He missed the [[1972–73 NFL playoffs|playoffs]] and retired in June.<ref name=dpoffbd>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0blQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5F8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4340%2C413697 |newspaper=St. Petersburg Times |agency=Associated Press |title=Dallas playoff-bound without Howley |date=December 11, 1972 |page=4C|access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref><ref name=injhmum>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qQVIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w4AMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6302%2C1785959 |newspaper=Victoria Advocate |location=Texas |agency=Associated Press |title=Injured Howley mum concerning retirement |date=December 12, 1972 |page=1B |access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref> In 1973, he made a brief return to the team and appeared in one game, before retiring for good.<ref name=dheret>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rWk0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=zQkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2748%2C3835677 |newspaper=Wilmington Morning Star |location=North Carolina |agency=UPI |title=Dallas' Howley ends retirement |date=September 19, 1973 |page=3C |access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref> His thirteen seasons for the Cowboys ties him for the second longest tenure in franchise history. In 1977, Howley was inducted into the [[Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor|Ring of Honor]] at [[Texas Stadium]], the fourth player to receive that honor. He also was inducted into the [[Texas Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tshof.org/store/p151/Chuck_Howley.html|title=Chuck Howley bio|website=Texas Sports Hall of Fame|access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref>