Howard Stevens
{{Short description|American football player (born 1950)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| image = Stevens-Howard-1977.jpg
| caption = Stevens in 1977
| position = Running back,
Return specialist
| number = 22, 27
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|2|9}}
| birth_place = Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S.
| death_date =
| height_ft = 5
| weight_lb = 165
| height_in = 5
| draftyear = 1973
| draftround = 16
| draftpick = 392
| high_school = Harrisonburg
| college = Louisville, Randolph-Macon
| teams =
- New Orleans Saints (1973–1975)
- Baltimore Colts (1975–1977)
| highlights =
- Lead NFL in punt and kick-off returns (1974)
- Second-team All-American (1972)
- Louisville Cardinals Ring of Honor
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 63
| statlabel2 = Starts
| statvalue2 = 0
| statlabel3 = Punts returned
| statvalue3 = 163 (1,559 yards)
| statlabel4 = Kickoffs returned
| statvalue4 = 103 (2,336 yards)
| statlabel5 = Yards rushing
| statvalue5 = 376
| statlabel6 = Touchdowns
| statvalue6 = 4
| pfr = StevHo00
| HOF =
}}
Howard Melvin Stevens Jr. (born February 9, 1950) is an American former professional football player who was a running back and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Colts.{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/players/howardstevens/profile?id=STE613470|title=All-Time Players|publisher=National Football league|access-date=2009-01-11|archive-date=2023-12-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229152552/https://www.nfl.com/players/howard-stevens/|url-status=live}} He is among the smallest players to have ever played in the NFL and was the smallest player in the league during his five active seasons, 1973 through 1977.{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,915782-1,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102080418/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,915782-1,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 2, 2012|title=Runts in the Big League|publisher=Time |access-date=2009-01-12 | date=1977-12-05}}
College
Stevens started his college career at Randolph-Macon College, where he was named All-American in 1968 (honorable mention) and 1969 (second-team).{{cite web|url=http://www.rmc.edu/athletics/Mens/football/allamericans.aspx|title=R-MC Football All-Americans|publisher=Randolph-Macon College|access-date=2009-01-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805112610/http://www.rmc.edu/athletics/Mens/football/allamericans.aspx|archive-date=2012-08-05}} On a team that won the Mason–Dixon Conference championship with a 9–0–0 record in his freshman year, he was the league Most Valuable Player as the NCAA College Division leader in scoring and rushing with 142 points and 1,468 yards respectively and was featured in Faces in the Crowd in the January 20, 1969 issue of Sports Illustrated.[https://vault.si.com/vault/1969/01/20/faces-in-the-crowd "Faces in the Crowd," Sports Illustrated, January 20, 1969.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122104729/https://vault.si.com/vault/1969/01/20/faces-in-the-crowd |date=January 22, 2021 }} Retrieved September 24, 2020 He transferred to the University of Louisville where he earned a B.A. in Psychology.{{cite web |last1=Beck |first1=Martin |title=Who Is Howard Stevens? |url=https://hhsmedia.com/10602/news/who-is-howard-stevens/ |website=HHS Media |access-date=12 January 2025 |date=October 28, 2014}}
Stevens played only two seasons for Louisville but has been inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame.{{cite web|url=http://uoflsports.cstv.com/trads/lou-trads-hall-of-fame.html|title=Athletic Hall of Fame|publisher=University of Louisville|access-date=2009-01-12|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218152756/http://uoflsports.cstv.com/trads/lou-trads-hall-of-fame.html|archive-date=2008-12-18}} In 1972, Stevens was named to the United Press International, the Walter Camp and the Football News all-American football teams and the Associated Press Second-team.{{cite web|url=http://uoflsports.cstv.com/trads/lou-trads-all-americans.html|title=All-Americans|publisher=University of Louisville|access-date=2009-01-12|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218152751/http://uoflsports.cstv.com/trads/lou-trads-all-americans.html|archive-date=2008-12-18}} The University of Louisville retired Stevens' jersey in 1972. He set a school record for rushing yards in a season with 1,429 yards in 1971 while scoring 12 touchdowns. He is currently ranked fourth all-time in school history with 2,723 rushing yards and is sixth with 25 career touchdowns.{{cite web|url=http://uoflsports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/092207aae.html|title=University of Louisville Football Post-Game Notes|publisher=University of Louisville|access-date=2009-01-12|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717111845/http://uoflsports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/092207aae.html|archive-date=2012-07-17}}
NFL
Stevens, who was listed at {{convert|5|ft|5|in|m|abbr=on}} tall and {{convert|165|lb|abbr=on}}.,{{cite web|url=http://www.nokiasugarbowl.com/Football_Knowledge/Football_Player/41440.html|title=Who is the shortest NFL player?|publisher=NokiaSugarbowl|access-date=2009-01-12|archive-date=2009-02-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204134905/http://nokiasugarbowl.com/Football_Knowledge/Football_Player/41440.html|url-status=live}} was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 16th round (392nd overall) of the 1973 Draft.{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/StevHo00.htm|title=Howard Stevens|publisher=Sports Reference.com|access-date=2009-01-11|archive-date=2008-10-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014005941/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/StevHo00.htm|url-status=live}} He played two years for the Saints, lead the NFL in 1974 in kick-off and punt returns.{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1974/leaders.htm|title=1974 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards|publisher=ProFootball References.com|access-date=2009-01-11|archive-date=2017-08-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821003706/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1974/leaders.htm|url-status=live}} In 1975, Stevens was picked up by the Baltimore Colts where he was used exclusively as a kick-off and punt returner. During his tenure in the NFL, he was the league's smallest player. He rushed for a total of 376 yards on 89 carries and scored 4 touchdowns. As a kick returner he ran for 2336 yards on 103 returns. He returned 163 punts for 1,559 yards. He never returned a kick-off or punt for a touchdown.{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/players/howardstevens/careerstats?id=STE613470|title=Stevens: Career Stats|work=NFL.com|access-date=2009-01-12|archive-date=2023-12-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229152711/https://www.nfl.com/players/howard-stevens/stats/career|url-status=live}}
Later years
After leaving the Baltimore Colts, Stevens remained in the Baltimore area. He and his wife Joyce have three adult children.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Saints1973DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Howard}}
Category:Baltimore Colts players
Category:New Orleans Saints players
Category:People from Harrisonburg, Virginia