Howie Ferguson
1959 Howie Ferguson football card | |
Position: | Fullback, halfback |
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Personal information | |
Date of birth: | August 5, 1930 |
Place of birth: | New Iberia, Louisiana |
Date of death: | December 18, 2005 75) | (aged
Career information | |
College: | None |
Career history | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
Player stats at PFR |
Howie Ferguson (August 5, 1930 – December 18, 2005) was a professional American football player. He played as a fullback and halfback for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers and one season in the American Football League (AFL) with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Biography
Ferguson grew up in Louisiana, where he competed in football, basketball, baseball, and boxing at New Iberia High School. During the off-season he worked as an oil field worker in New Iberia. Although he never played at college football, Ferguson was discovered while playing football for the Navy in California by a scout for the NFL's Los Angeles Rams. The Rams signed him but he was released prior to the 1952 season and then signed by the Green Bay Packers as a free agent in 1953. The 6'2", 210-pound Ferguson gained 2,120 yards rushing and 1,079 yards receiving with the Packers between 1953 and 1958.
In 1955 Ferguson had over 1000 yards combined rushing and receiving for the Packers, earning him a spot on the Pro Bowl roster as a fullback alongside Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Rookie of the Year Alan Ameche of the Baltimore Colts. Ferguson retired in 1959 after multiple injuries, but had a brief comeback in 1960 during the inaugural season of the American Football League (AFL) of the Los Angeles Chargers. In 1974 Howard Ferguson was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.[1]