Ken Houston
- Houston Oilers (1967-1972)
- Washington Redskins (1973-1980)
Kenneth " Ken " Ray Houston ( born November 12, 1944 in Lufkin, Texas ) is an American former American football player and coach. He played as a safety in the National Football League ( NFL ) for the Washington Redskins and in the American Football League ( AFL) and in the NFL with the Houston Oilers.
Youth
Ken Houston was born the son of a cleaning contractor. He has one brother and two sisters and attended in his hometown high school. At school he was active as a baseball and football players, as well as swimmers. After graduation Ken Houston was only offered from the Prairie View A & M University a scholarship.
Playing career
College career
Kenneth Houston studied from 1963 to 1966 at the Prairie View A & M University. He was a member of the swimming and athletics team. In the unterklassigen football team he played on offense as a center but moved to one academic year to the position of linebackers. Because of his athletic achievements, he was elected to the Football League selection.
Professional career
The fact that Ken Houston played in a unterklassigen college football team, his professional career was not immediately useful. However, he had noticed a track and field coach of the Grambling State University, who served as a scout by the way of the Houston Oilers. The coached by Wally Lemm team from Houston draftete him in the ninth round to 214 place. The late commitment made Houston initially only little hope for a long lasting professional career. The Oilers put Houston as a Safety, on matchday third of the NFL season, he became the starter at this position. Matchday On the season, he made national attention. In a game against the New York Jets, he caught a pass from their quarterback Joe Namath and thus scored a touchdown. Another touchdown he scored by a blocked field goal. The game ended in a draw with a 28:28. In the season of 1967 he moved his team into the playoffs, where he lost to his team the Oakland Raiders with 40:7. It should be the only play-off game with the Houston Oilers. In 1971 he was able to achieve a NFL Jahresbestleistung. He succeeded in attaining four touchdowns interceptions.
In exchange for five players Kenneth was issued after the game round in 1972 by the Oilers to the Washington Redskins. With the team from Washington D.C. he moved into the play -offs in 1973 and 1974. 1973 failed the Redskins to the Minnesota Vikings with 27:20 and 1974 to the Los Angeles Rams 19:10. In 1976, Houston should move in with the Redskins for the third time in the finals. But this year the team failed prematurely to the Vikings. At the 35:20 defeat of his team he managed an interception against quarterback Fran Tarkenton. Ken Houston ended after the 1980 NFL season, his playing career.
Coaching career
Immediately after his playing career coached Houston two high school football teams in Houston. From 1982 to 1985 he was an assistant coach with the Oilers. He took over the responsibility for the defensive backs of the team. From 1986 to 1990 he held the same office at the University of Houston.
Off the pitch
Ken Houston has been married since 1967 and has two children. He is currently a representative of the Houston Texans and performs numerous social obligations.
Honors
Kenneth Houston played twelve times in the Pro Bowl or the AFL All-Star Game, the final game of the best players of the season. He was elected twelve times to the All- Pro. He is a member of the NFL 75th Anniversary All- Time Team, NFL 1970s All- Decade Team in the, in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, in the all-time Texas high school football team and in the Prairie View A & M University Sports Hall of Fame. The Washington Redskins at FedExField honor him on the Ring of Fame.