Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley will forever be the answer to a trivia question.
Who is the only NFL player to be voted Super Bowl MVP on a losing team? Howley, who earned that honor in Super Bowl V, will earn another distinction this weekend.
The charter member of the "Doomsday Defense" will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Howley, 87, will be presented by Hall of Fame defensive tackle Bob Lilly.
How good was Howley? How did he earn Super Bowl MVP honors in a loss? How many members of Doomsday are in Canton now? Sporting News answers those questions.
Chuck Howley is a West Virginia legend
Howley is a Wheeling, West, Va., native, who gained fame as a multi-sport star for the Mountaineers in college.
Howley played offensive line in football – and was a guard and center for West Virginia for three seasons. He also earned letters in wrestling, swimming, track and gymnastics during his time in college.
The Chicago Bears drafted Howley with the No. 7 pick in the 1958 NFL Draft. He suffered a knee injury in 1959. He worked at a service station in Wheeling for a time while recovering from those injuries. Howley appeared to be retired, but Dallas coach Tom Landry altered that plan.
Tom Landry made Chuck Howley switch positions
Gil Brandt, who was a chief talent scout for the Cowboys under Tom Landry, had high praise for Howley in an interview with the Associated Press.
"I don't think there was ever a better pound-for-pound player in the National Football League than Chuck Howley," Brandt told the AP. "As a pass rusher, as a linebacker, as a defensive lineman, as a person."
That's right. Howley switched to linebacker. He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time All-Pro selection with the "Doomsday Defense" in the 1970s. Howley was excellent in coverage with 25 career interceptions, and that's part of the reason why he earned Super Bowl MVP honors.
Chuck Howley won Super Bowl MVP in a loss
The Cowboys faced the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V, and the game was ugly. Howley intercepted quarterback Johnny Unitas in the first quarter, before the Hall of Fame quarterback left with a rib injury.
Howley added a second interception. He also helped force a Unitas fumble and broke up a pass in the end zone shortly before halftime. Howley had two tackles and two assists in the all-around performance for the Cowboys.
That might have been enough to help secure a victory if not for Mike Curtis' interception for the Colts in the final minutes. Jim O'Brien kicked a field goal with five seconds remaining to give Baltimore a 16-13 victory.
Howley's efforts were enough to win Super Bowl MVP honors. Howley was the first defensive player to win the award. A total of 10 defensive players have won Super Bowl MVP honors in nine Super Bowls.
What is the 'Doomsday Defense'?
The "Doomsday Defense" was a nickname given to Landry's defense. that helped Dallas to five Super Bowl appearances in the 1960s and 1970s. The Cowboys won Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl XII and lost Super Bowl V, Super Bowl X and Super Bowl XIII.
Howley is the sixth defensive player from that Cowboys era to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Lilly and defensive backs Mel Renfro, Cliff Harris and Herb Adderley – who also played for the Packers – also are enshrined in Canton. Defensive tackle Randy White joined the Cowboys in 1975 and was part of a defensive unit that earned the nickname "Doomsday II." Howley and Lilly were retired at that point. White and Harvey Martin were co-MVPs in Dallas' Super Bowl XII victory.
