Dana Cortez Howard (born February 27, 1972) is a former American college and professional American football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the 1990s. He played college football for the University of Illinois, was recognized as an All-American and won several national awards. A fifth-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys, he played professionally for the NFL's St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears.
[edit] Early years
Howard was born in East St. Louis, Illinois.[1] Howard attended East St. Louis High School,[2] where he played for the East St. Louis Flyers high school football team coached by Bob Shannon.
[edit] College career
While attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Howard played for the Illinois Fighting Illini football team from 1991 to 1994. He was a member of Illinois' talented linebacker corps that included fellow standouts John Holecek, Kevin Hardy and Simeon Rice. As a senior in 1994, he won the Dick Butkus Award and Jack Lambert Award, both presented annually to the best linebacker in college football. Howard earned first-team All-American honors in 1993, and was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American in 1994. He is the all-time leading tackler in Fighting Illini history, with 595.
[edit] Professional career
Howard was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 1995 NFL Draft (168th pick overall).[3] He signed with the St. Louis Rams and played in 16 games in 1995.[1] In 1996, he played in three games with the Chicago Bears.[4]
Howard also played with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe in 1999.
[edit] References
- ^ a b National Football League, Historical Players, Dana Howard. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ^ databaseFootball.com, Players, Dana Howard. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ^ Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1995 National Football League Draft. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Dana Howard. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
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| Name |
Howard, Dana |
| Alternative names |
Howard, Dana Cortez; Howard, Dana C. |
| Short description |
All-American college football player, professional football player, linebacker |
| Date of birth |
February 27, 1972 |
| Place of birth |
East St. Louis, Illinois, United States |
| Date of death |
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