Without the Cowboys’ braintrust of Tex Schramm, Gil Brandt and Tom Landry, Chuck Howley wouldn’t have much of an NFL career.
The Bears drafted him seventh overall in 1958, but he played only 15 games with them in three seasons. A training camp knee injury in 1959 limited him to three games that season and none in 1960.
The Bears sent him to the Cowboys in 1961 for two players who ended up playing a combined 27 games in the NFL.
Howley played 165 for the Cowboys over 13 seasons in Dallas, became the only player on a losing team to become Super Bowl MVP, and on Saturday, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“At the time, dad believed his football career was over,” his son, Scott Howley, said. “But the Cowboys believing in his potential allowed him to make a remarkable comeback. Their willingness to take a chance on him enabled dad to reach new heights and really realize his talent. In fact, coach Landry once remarked, ‘I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anybody better at linebacker than Chuck Howley.”
Howley, who has dementia, did not make the trip from Dallas for his induction. But he watched on TV as his son implored fans in attendance “to give a shout-out to Chuck.”
“Hello, Chuck!” the crowd screamed in unison.
