Who's Better, Who's Best in Football? by Steve Silverman

Author:Steve Silverman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sports Publishing
Published: 2013-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

#34

KEN HOUSTON

Ken Houston got his start in professional football as a safety during the passing revolution that became the signature of the American Football League. Sid Gillman directed the charge as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers. Al Davis in Oakland followed suit and so did Weeb Ewbank in New York. Hank Stram did the same in Kansas City.

It became clear that if you were going to succeed in the AFL, it took quarterbacks like Joe Namath, Len Dawson, Daryle Lamonica, and John Hadl. It became equally clear that if you were going to stand up to an assault from one of those quarterbacks, you needed to have a defensive back with sensational athletic ability, intelligence, guts, and playmaking skills.

The Raiders had Willie Brown, the Chiefs had Johnny Robinson and the Houston Oilers had Kenny Houston. Houston was 6-foot-3, 198 pounds, and he had all the physical gifts to be a tremendous safety. He had a long stride to go with his speed and agility. Those skills made him ideal for pass defense yet he was strong enough to also be a devastating tackler.

He was selected to two AFL All-Star games and 10 Pro Bowls over a 12-year period from 1968 through 1979. He retired following the 1980 season, recognized as the premier strong safety of his era. In 1994, he was honored as a member of the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team. He intercepted 49 passes, which he returned for 898 yards. He also recovered 21 fumbles and scored 12 touchdowns, nine on interceptions and one each on a punt return, fumble return, and blocked-field-goal return.

He made an impression on the rest of the league early in his rookie season after being drafted out of tiny Prairie View A&M in the ninth round. In an early-season game against the New York Jets, he scored two touchdowns by returning a blocked field 71 yards and a Joe Namath interception 43 yards. Both plays were instrumental in allowing the Oilers to come away with a 28–28 tie. Houston was anything but a shy rookie, and showed he was not intimidated by playing against the league’s glamour team in America’s biggest city.

Ken Houston was a hidden gem in the AFL. He dominated with his ability to play from sideline to sideline and he enjoyed a remarkable season with the Oilers in 1971, when he had nine interceptions and returned four for touchdowns to lead the league in that department. He also forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles, and returned one of them for a touchdown. The Oilers only won four games that season and Houston’s interceptions played a key role in three of them.

Houston remained an industry secret until the Oilers traded him to the Washington Redskins in 1973 for five veterans. Once he arrived in Washington, Houston became a mainstay in the Redskins’ “Over-the-Hill Gang” and he was immediately one of head coach George Allen’s favorite players.

Allen was enamored with Houston’s knowledge on the football field and the fact that he was almost always in the right position to make a play.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.