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Howie Long Virginia | ||
As a defensive lineman at Villanova University, Howie Long was a four-year letterman in football. He was All-East and honorable mention All-American as a senior and was also a champion boxer as an undergraduate. Howie graduated from Villanova with a degree in communications and joined the Oakland Raiders as a defensive end second-round draft choice in 1981. He became a starter in his second season with the team and helped the Raiders to a Super Bowl XVIII win over the Washington Redskins by posting a career-best 13 sacks and registering five Super Bowl tackles. During his 13-year career with the Raiders, he tied the team record with eight Pro Bowl selections. He holds the Raiders record for the most sacks in a game (five) as well as the AFC Pro Bowl record with nine and a half career sacks.
A multi-talented performer, Long launched his successful television and film career after retiring from the NFL at the end of the 1993 season. In 1995, he entered into a contract with 20th Century FOX Film Corporation to appear in three motion pictures. The first was the 1995 action-adventure film Broken Arrow, and the second was the 1998 action-adventure picture, Firestorm. His third feature film, 3000 Miles to Graceland, was released in 2001. Long also starred in TNT's 1998 feature film Dollar for the Dead. In addition to his professional duties, Long has consistently been active in charity work. In 2001, he was named "Man of the Year" by the Walter Camp Foundation for his local and national contributions to charities. He is also a past recipient of the West Coast Father’s Day Council "Father of the Year" award. He is currently the Honorary Chairman of his local Boys and Girls Club and also an honorary chairman of "Andrew’s Buddies," an organization which raises awareness and supports research to defeat spinal muscular atrophy. In honor of his beloved grandmother, Elizabeth Mullen, Howie and his wife, Diane, established a scholarship fund at Villanova which benefits underprivileged students. Howie hosts the annual Howie Long Golf Classic to raise funds for the scholarship program.
Long annually lends his time and talent to the United Way, the Mental Health Association, and the Tracey Biletnikoff Foundation. In spring of 2001, Howie and Diane were chairmen of Child Abuse Prevention Month in Virginia. Long was the founding National Chairman for Athletes & Entertainers for Kids, and he is also a member of the American Cancer Society’s Public Awareness Council.
In addition to Long’s already impressive list of credentials, he is an accomplished author as well. In 2003, Long’s Football for Dummies, 2nd Edition was released. In this update to his best-seller, Football for Dummies, Howie combines his playing experience with his insightful on-air commentary to present football fans with a detailed guide to the game they love. Howie’s keen wit and insight make him an entertaining and highly sought after speaker. | ||
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In 2000, Long became the third youngest player ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he is one of only seven defensive ends voted into the Hall.
