A defensive back can help his team win games in many ways.
He can intercept passes, recover fumbles, have sacks, and limit passing and rushing yards by the offense.
Over an eight-year career with the Cleveland Browns from 1965 to 1972, defensive back Mike Howell helped Cleveland win games in all of these ways.
With Howell (who earned All-Pro honors in 1969), the Browns won five division titles and two playoff games.
December 21, 1968#EasternConferenceChampionship#1968NFLDivisionalThread#Browns #DallasCowboys
Mike Howell picks off Meredith.
Cockroft kicks a FG pic.twitter.com/oAq4oecq2d— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) November 6, 2021
We take a look at the life of Mike Howell – before, during, and after his professional football playing career.
The Early Years Before College
Michael Lionel Howell was born on July 5, 1943 in West Monroe, Louisiana.
West Monroe is located in north central Louisiana.
Howell was one of eight children (four brothers and four sisters).
Two of Howell’s brothers also were to have NFL careers.
His older brother, Lane, played defensive tackle for the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles from 1963 to 1969.
Delles, his younger brother, played defensive back for the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets from 1970 to1975.
Howell attended Carroll High School in Monroe, Louisiana.
After high school, Howell followed his older brother, Lane, to attend Grambling State University (“Grambling”) in Grambling, Louisiana.
The College Years
At Grambling, Howell played both safety and quarterback.
In 1964, at quarterback, Howell passed for 1,032 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Grambling had a 9-2 record in 1964.
It finished second in the nation behind Prairie View A&M for black college football national champion, as selected by the Pittsburgh Courier.
As recalled by Grambling head coach and future College Football Hall of Famer Eddie Robinson, Howell preferred playing in the defensive backfield over quarterback:
“We had a fine QB . . . in Mike Howell . . . But Mike really didn’t want to play QB for us because he wanted to play in the NFL and knew there had never been a black NFL quarterback. He wanted to be a defensive back for us but agreed to play QB for Grambling.”
Howell graduated from Grambling with a degree in Physical Education.
After Grambling, Howell headed to professional football as a defensive back.
The Pro Football Years
1965-1968
Howell was drafted by both the Cleveland Browns in the eighth round of the 1965 NFL draft (he was the 111th overall pick) and the San Diego Chargers in the 15th round of the 1965 American Football League draft (he was the 118th overall pick).
He decided to play for the Browns.
As an eighth-round draft pick, playing for the defending 1964 NFL champions, there was no guarantee that Howell would make Cleveland’s roster in 1965.
However, Howell was one of just four rookies (joining second round draft pick defensive end Jim Garcia, second round draft pick defensive tackle Walter Johnson, and seventh round draft pick linebacker Dale Lindsey) to be on the Browns team in 1965.
At a height of six feet and one inch and at a weight of 195 pounds, Howell played in all 14, but did not start any, regular season games in 1965.
Howell contributed to the Cleveland defense holding three opponents in 1965 to less than 250 total passing and rushing yards – 232 total passing and rushing yards (only 24 rushing yards) in a 17-7 victory over the Washington Redskins on September 19, 1965, 201 total passing and rushing yards in another win over Washington, 24-16, on December 5, 1965, and 160 total passing and rushing yards (only 50 “net” passing yards) in a 27-24 defeat of the St. Louis Cardinals on December 19, 1965.
In 1965, Howell also returned two kickoffs for three yards.
The Browns defense, with Howell, ranked in the 1965 NFL regular season third in lowest passing completion percentage allowed (48.7%), fifth in defensive pass interceptions (24), and tied for third in fewest rushing touchdowns allowed (11).
Cleveland won the NFL East Division title, with an 11-3 record, in 1965.
The Browns advanced to play the Green Bay Packers in the 1965 NFL championship game on January 2, 1966.
Howell played in, but did not start, the game, as Cleveland lost to the Packers 23-12.
In 1966, Howell became a full-time starter, starting all 14 regular season games at right cornerback.
On September 25, 1966, Howell intercepted St. Louis Cardinals quarterback Charley Johnson for Howell’s first NFL regular season interception, in a 34-28 Browns loss to St. Louis.
The following week, on October 2, 1966, Howell had an interception, as Cleveland defeated the New York Giants 28-7.
In the next game, on October 8, 1966, Howell had two interceptions, which he returned for a total of eight yards, in a 41-10 Browns triumph over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The following game, Howell intercepted Dallas Cowboys quarterback Don Meredith (for Howell’s fourth consecutive game with an interception) and returned the interception for 29 yards, in a 30-21 Cleveland win over the Dallas Cowboys on October 23, 1966.
Howell intercepted both Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks King Hill and Norm Snead one time and returned the interceptions for a total of 25 yards, in a 27-7 Browns victory over the Eagles on November 13, 1966.
In a 33-21 Cleveland loss to Philadelphia on December 11, 1966, Howell intercepted Eagles quarterback Jack Concannon.
Howell also helped the Browns defense hold two opponents in 1966 to less than 250 total passing and rushing yards – 204 total passing and rushing yards (only 22 rushing yards) in the above-described October 8, 1966 triumph over the Steelers, and 227 total passing and rushing yards (only 99 “net” passing yards) in a 38-10 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on December 17, 1966.
In 1966, Howell intercepted the above-described eight passes (ranked tied for second in the NFL), which he returned for 62 yards.
With Howell at right cornerback, the Cleveland defense ranked in the 1966 NFL regular season fifth in fewest points allowed (259), first in recovered turnovers (49), fourth in recovered fumbles (19), tied for fifth in fewest passing touchdowns allowed (14), and first in defensive pass interceptions (30).
The Browns had a 9-5 record in 1966.
Howell played in all 14, and started 12, regular season games in 1967 at right cornerback.
On October 15, 1967, Howell intercepted St. Louis Cardinals quarterback Jim Hart, in a 20-16 Cleveland win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Howell had two interceptions – one of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Bill Nelsen and one of Pittsburgh quarterback Kent Nix – and returned the interceptions for a total of 20 yards, as the Browns defeated the Steelers 34-14 on November 5, 1967.
In addition, in 1967, Howell’s play contributed to the Cleveland defense holding two opponents to less than 250 total passing and rushing yards – 136 total passing and rushing yards (only 20 rushing yards) in a 24-0 shutout of the Chicago Bears on October 22, 1967, and 204 total passing and rushing yards in a 14-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on November 19, 1967.
Howell, in 1967, intercepted the above-described three passes, which he returned for 20 yards.
In the 1967 NFL regular season, Howell contributed to the Browns defense ranking tied for fifth in recovered fumbles (14) and fourth in sacks (41).
11/12/1967: #Packers rookie Travis Williams outruns the Browns' Mike Howell to the end zone and scores on an 85-yard kickoff return … pic.twitter.com/1wTpmOYGL7
— Packers Dynasty (@packers656667) November 13, 2017
Cleveland, with a 9-5 record, won the NFL Century Division title in 1967.
In the 1967 NFL playoffs, the Browns met the Dallas Cowboys on December 24, 1967.
Howell started the game, but Cleveland lost to Dallas 52-14.
In 1968, Howell changed positions, starting all 14 regular season games at right safety.
Howell intercepted a pass from New Orleans Saints quarterback Billy Kilmer and returned the interception for 17 yards, as the Browns defeated the Saints 24-10 on September 15, 1968.
On October 13, 1968, Howell intercepted Jim Hart, in a 27-21 Cleveland loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
The following week, on October 20, 1968, Howell had an interception, which he returned for seven yards, in a 30-20 Browns win over the Baltimore Colts.
In a 35-17 Cleveland victory over the New Orleans Saints on November 10, 1968, Howell had an interception, which he returned for seven yards.
The following week, on November 17, 1968, Howell had an interception, which he returned for 24 yards, in a 45-24 Browns triumph over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On December 8, 1968, Howell intercepted future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, in a 24-21 Cleveland win over the Washington Redskins.
In 1968, Howell helped the Browns defense hold three opponents to less than 250 total passing and rushing yards – 208 total passing and rushing yards in the above-described September 15, 1968 defeat of the Saints, 212 total passing and rushing yards in the above-described October 20, 1968 win over the Colts, and 182 total passing and rushing yards (only 77 “net” passing yards) in a 45-10 victory over the New York Giants on December 1, 1968.
Howell intercepted the above-described six passes in 1968, which he returned for 55 yards.
He also recovered one fumble in 1968.
With Howell at right safety, the Cleveland defense ranked in the 1968 NFL regular season first in recovered turnovers (46), first in defensive pass interceptions (32), and tied for first in lowest average yards per passing attempt allowed (5.6).
In 1968, Cleveland, with a 10-4 record, again won the NFL Century Division title.
The Browns advanced to play the Dallas Cowboys in the 1968 NFL playoffs on December 21, 1968.
Howell started the game at free safety and his interception of a pass by Don Meredith and return of the interception for 20 yards helped set up Cleveland’s first score in the game.
The Browns avenged their loss to Dallas in the 1967 NFL playoffs, defeating the Cowboys 31-20.
With the victory, Cleveland advanced to meet the Baltimore Colts in the 1968 NFL championship game on December 29, 1968.
Howell started the game at free safety, but the Browns lost to Baltimore 34-0.
1969-1972
Howell again started all 14 regular season games at right safety in 1969.
On September 21, 1969, Howell intercepted Norm Snead and returned the interception for 11 yards, in a 27-20 Cleveland win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
In a 28-21 Browns loss to the Detroit Lions on October 5, 1969, Howell intercepted both Detroit quarterbacks Bill Munson and Greg Landry one time.
The following week, on October 12, 1969, Howell had an interception of Billy Kilmer, in a 27-17 Cleveland victory over the New Orleans Saints.
In the next game, on October 18, 1969, Howell intercepted a pass and returned it for 10 yards, as the Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 42-31.
Howell intercepted Dallas Cowboys quarterback Craig Morton, in a 42-10 Cleveland triumph over the Cowboys on November 2, 1969.
The Browns defense, with Howell, held three opponents to less than 250 total passing and rushing yards in 1969 – 246 total passing and rushing yards in the above-described September 21, 1969 win over the Eagles, 218 total passing and rushing yards in a 20-7 win over the Green Bay Packers on December 7, 1969, and 219 total passing and rushing yards in a 27-21 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on December 14, 1969.
In 1969, Howell intercepted the above-described six passes (ranked tied for fourth in the NFL), which he returned for 21 yards.
He also had one sack in 1969.
He was named second team All-Pro by United Press International for his play in 1969.
Howell’s play helped the Cleveland defense rank in the 1969 NFL regular season tied for fourth in recovered turnovers (41), second in recovered fumbles (22), and fifth in sacks (37).
With a 10-3-1 record in 1969, the Browns won the NFL Century Division title for the third consecutive season.
Cleveland advanced to meet the Dallas Cowboys in the 1969 NFL playoffs on December 28, 1969.
Howell started the game at free safety and his play helped the Browns hold Dallas to 217 total passing and rushing yards, as Cleveland defeated the Cowboys (for the second consecutive year in the playoffs) 38-14.
The following week, on January 4, 1970, in the 1969 NFL championship game, Howell started the game at free safety, but the Browns lost to the Minnesota Vikings 27-7.
In 1970, Howell started all 14 regular season games at free safety.
On October 18, 1970, Howell intercepted Bill Munson, in a 41-24 Cleveland loss to the Detroit Lions.
Howell helped the Browns defense hold four opponents to less than 250 total passing and rushing yards in 1970 – 236 total passing and rushing yards in a 30-27 triumph over the Cincinnati Bengals on October 11, 1970, 165 total passing and rushing yards (only 46 “net” passing yards) in a 28-0 shutout of the Miami Dolphins on October 25, 1970, 223 total passing and rushing yards in a 21-10 victory over the Houston Oilers on December 7, 1970, and 174 total passing and rushing yards (only 52 “net” passing yards) in a 6-2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on December 12, 1970.
In addition to the above-described one interception, Howell recovered one fumble in 1970.
Cleveland had a 7-7 record in 1970.
In 1971, Howell played in all 14, and started 12, regular season games at free safety.
Howell intercepted New England Patriots quarterback Jim Plunkett and returned the interception for 25 yards, in a 27-7 Browns win over the Patriots on November 21, 1971.
On December 19, 1971, Howell had an interception of Washington Redskins quarterback Billy Kilmer and returned the interception for 68 yards, as Cleveland defeated Washington 20-13.
Howell contributed to the Browns defense in 1971 holding five opponents to less than 250 total passing and rushing yards – 243 total passing and rushing yards (only 35 rushing yards) in a 31-0 shutout of the Houston Oilers on September 19, 1971, 178 total passing and rushing yards (only 41 “net” passing yards) in a 14-13 win over the Baltimore Colts on September 26, 1971, 222 total passing and rushing yards in a 27-17 triumph over the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 10, 1971, 216 total passing and rushing yards (only 46 rushing yards) in a 37-24 victory over the Houston Oilers on November 28, 1971, and 225 total passing and rushing yards (only 66 “net” passing yards) in a 21-17 win over the New Orleans Saints on December 12, 1971.
In 1971, Howell intercepted the above-described two passes, which he returned for 93 yards.
The Cleveland defense, with Howell, in the 1971 NFL regular season ranked third in lowest passing completion percentage allowed (46.0%) and fourth in fewest passing yards allowed (1,967).
The Browns won the AFC Central Division title in 1971, with a 9-5 record.
In the 1971 NFL playoffs, Cleveland met the Baltimore Colts on December 26, 1971.
Howell started the game, but the Browns lost to the Colts 20-3.
Howell played in four of the first five regular season games for Cleveland in 1972, starting each of them at strong safety.
On October 1, 1972, Howell had the final interception of his NFL career, when he intercepted Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson and returned the interception for one yard, in a 27-6 Browns win over the Bengals.
Howell was waived by the Browns on October 17, 1972.
He then signed with the Miami Dolphins on October 19, 1972.
Howell played in only one game, and did not start any games, for the Dolphins in 1972.
However, by being part of the Miami roster in 1972, when the Dolphins (in an undefeated season) won Super Bowl VII 14-7 over the Washington Redskins on January 14, 1973, Howell earned a Super Bowl ring.
In his four regular season games with the Browns in 1972, Howell had one sack, in addition to the above-described one interception.
Howell’s play contributed to the Cleveland defense ranking in the 1972 NFL regular season third in fewest passing yards allowed (1,736) and tied for fifth in sacks (38).
The Browns, with a 10-4 record, earned a “wild card” playoff berth in 1972.
In the 1972 NFL playoffs, Cleveland lost to Howell’s new team, the Miami Dolphins, 20-14 on December 24, 1972.
1972 was Howell’s last season in the NFL.
The Years After Professional Football
Howell married Jacqueline.
He had six children – Michelle, Kesha, Paul, Michael, Jr., Mark, and Macharia.
In 2013, Howell was inducted in the Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame.
On August 1, 2016, Howell died in Monroe, Louisiana.
He was 73 years old.
In reflecting on Howell’s career with the Browns, several points are notable.
First, Howell was one of the top Cleveland Browns at intercepting passes.
He ranks tied for eighth in Browns career regular season history in interceptions (27) and 18th in Browns career regular season history in interception return yards (252).
Howell also had one playoff interception.
Second, Howell’s impact on defense (in addition to his interceptions, Howell recovered two fumbles and had two sacks) in part was attributable to his speed.
Howell’s son, Mark, stated:
“We’ve got a lot of tape on [Howell] and actually he was faster than Jim Brown. A couple of times when he made interceptions the announcer would go, ‘There goes Mike Howell, the fastest man on the team.’ We wound that tape back three or four times just to hear it again. We were like, ‘Man, he’s faster than Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly? How about that?’”
Third, Howell was dependable.
While Howell was on the Cleveland roster, the Browns played 110 regular season and playoff games; Howell played in 109 of them (starting 90 of them).
Fourth, and most importantly, Howell was a winner.
Howell’s play helped the Cleveland defense allow fewer passing and rushing yards and, as a result, win more games.
During the eight seasons that Howell was with the Browns, Cleveland compiled an impressive aggregate regular season and playoff record of 77-42-1 from 1965 to 1972.
Specifically, during these eight seasons, the Browns never had a losing season.
Over these eight seasons, Cleveland earned six playoff berths and won five division titles.
In addition, the Browns won two playoff games against the Dallas Cowboys in 1968 and 1969.
From 1965 to 1972, Cleveland also played in three NFL championship games.
In describing the history of the Cleveland Browns, much recognition is properly given to the 1964 team that won the NFL championship.
However, attention also should be given to the success that subsequent Browns teams generally enjoyed from 1965 to 1972.
As part of this success, Cleveland fans should remember the play of Mike Howell.
Whether as a right cornerback, right safety, free safety, or strong safety, Mike Howell was one of the top defensive backs in Cleveland Browns history.
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