Charles Louis “Chuck” Howley was born on June 28, 1936, in Wheeling, West Virginia. He attended Warwood High School, where he excelled in football and basketball. At West Virginia University, he lettered in five sports: football, track, wrestling, gymnastics, and swimming. He earned All-Southern Conference honors three times and was named the conference’s Athlete of the Year in 1957.
In the 1958 NFL Draft, Howley was selected seventh overall by the Chicago Bears. After a knee injury, he briefly retired but returned to the NFL in 1961 with the Dallas Cowboys. Over 13 seasons with Dallas, he played in two Super Bowls, earning MVP honors in Super Bowl V—the only player from a losing team to do so. He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time First-Team All-Pro. In 1977, he was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. His career totals include 25 interceptions and 18 fumble recoveries.
Howley’s achievements have been recognized with inductions into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and the West Virginia University Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2023, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Wheeling honors him as a native son, celebrating his legacy in both local and national sports history.
Chuck Howley was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
Chuck Howley recorded 25 interceptions, was selected to the All-NFL team 5 times, and participated in 6 Pro Bowls during his Hall of Fame career as a linebacker.
