Cedric Houston
{{Short description|American football player (born 1982)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| number = 34
| position = Running back
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|6|28}}
| birth_place = Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lbs = 220
| high_school = Clarendon (AR)
| college = Tennessee
| draftyear = 2005
| draftround = 6
| draftpick = 182
| pastteams =
- New York Jets ({{NFL Year|2005}}–{{NFL Year|2006}})
| highlights =
| statlabel1 = Rushing attempts
| statvalue1 = 194
| statlabel2 = Rushing yards
| statvalue2 = 676
| statlabel3 = Rushing touchdowns
| statvalue3 = 7
| statlabel4 = Receptions
| statvalue4 = 15
| statlabel5 = Receiving yards
| statvalue5 = 109
| pfr = HousCe00
}}
Cedric Leonard Houston (born June 28, 1982) is an American former professional football running back of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Jets in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football at Tennessee.
Early life
Houston played football, basketball, baseball and track and field while at Clarendon High School in Clarendon, Arkansas.{{Cite web |last=Goodman |first=Jeff |date=July 16, 2003 |title=Not Ced in stone |url=https://a.espncdn.com/highschool/a/001024cedhouston.html |access-date=March 12, 2024 |website=ESPN.com}} He played in the first ever U.S. Army All-American Bowl on December 30, 2000. He held the Arkansas Activities Association record for career touchdowns with 97 from 2000 to 2022 at Clarendon High.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}
College career
Houston was a three-year starter at the University of Tennessee.{{Cite web |title=Cedric Houston College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/cedric-houston-1.html |access-date=March 12, 2024 |website=Sports Reference |language=en}} He and Gerald Riggs, Jr. became the first players in Volunteers history to both amass 1,000 yards in the same season in 2004.{{Cite web |title=2004 Tennessee Volunteers Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/tennessee/2004.html |access-date=March 12, 2024 |website=Sports Reference |language=en}}{{Cite magazine |date=August 22, 2016 |title=Hurd, Kamara lead dynamic rushing attack for No. 9 Tennessee |url=https://www.si.com/college/2016/08/22/ap-fbc-t25-tennessee-running-back-duo |access-date=March 12, 2024 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en-us}} In the 2004 season, he had three games over the 100-yard mark and two games with multiple touchdowns.{{Cite web |title=Cedric Houston 2004 Game Log |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/cedric-houston-1/gamelog/2004 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |website=Sports Reference |language=en}}
Professional career
=New York Jets=
The New York Jets selected Houston using their sixth round pick in the 2005 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=2005 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2005/draft.htm |access-date=May 7, 2023 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}{{cite web|title=Jets Turn to a Rookie to Back Up Martin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/15/sports/football/15jets.html |work=The New York Times |author=Crouse, Karen |date=October 15, 2005 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130193518/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/15/sports/football/15jets.html |archive-date=January 30, 2013 |access-date=September 23, 2011 |url-status=dead }} Houston struggled in training camp as a thyroid condition, discovered at the NFL Combine, caused frequent fatigue issues. He was given medication to treat the condition. Heading into the season, Houston served as backup to Curtis Martin and Derrick Blaylock however, Blaylock suffered a broken right foot in October 2005 thus elevating Houston to second on the depth chart. Martin suffered a knee injury that he played through for 10 weeks before Houston replaced him as the starter on December 11.{{cite web |title=Depleted Jets rise up, drop Raiders deeper in hole |url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/gametracker/recap/NFL_20051211_OAK@NYJ |work=CBS Sports |date=December 11, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017075624/http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/gametracker/recap/NFL_20051211_OAK@NYJ |archive-date=October 17, 2012 |access-date=September 23, 2011 |url-status=dead }} As a rookie, he finished with 81 carries for 302 yards and two touchdowns in the 2005 season.{{Cite web |title=Cedric Houston 2005 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HousCe00/gamelog/2005/ |access-date=March 12, 2024 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}
Houston was involved in a car crash in April 2006 sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. He was later released from the hospital.{{Cite web |date=April 23, 2006 |title=Jets running back involved in car accident |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2418528 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107105700/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2418528 |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |website=ESPN.com|agency=Associated Press |language=en}} In the 2006 season, he had 113 carries for 374 yards and five touchdowns in eight games and one start.{{Cite web |title=Cedric Houston 2006 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HousCe00/gamelog/2006/ |access-date=March 12, 2024 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}
A day before the start of training camp, on July 26, 2007, Houston left the Jets for what was cited as personal reasons.{{Cite web |date=July 26, 2007 |title=Houston leaves Jets for personal reasons; Davis signed |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/houston-leaves-jets-for-personal-reasons-davis-signed-09000d5d80065087 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}} It was later revealed Houston had decided to quit professional football to return to Tennessee to earn his degree.{{Cite web |last=Crouse |first=Karen |date=2007-08-15 |title=With Jets' Jones Out, Houston Enters the Conversation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/sports/football/15jets.html |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=The New York Times |language=en-US}} Houston remained on the Jets' reserve list the entire season and was eventually released on March 11, 2008.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Footballstats |pfr=HousCe00}}
- [https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/8596/cedric-houston Cedric Houston] at ESPN.com
{{Tennessee Volunteers football rushing leaders navbox}}
{{Jets2005DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Houston, Cedric}}
Category:People from Monroe County, Arkansas
Category:Players of American football from Arkansas
Category:American football running backs
Category:Tennessee Volunteers football players
Category:New York Jets players
Category:Dallas Vigilantes players
Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen