Desmond Howard

Athlete Desmond Howard led a memorable football career, setting records and becoming the first special teams player to be named Super Bowl MVP. He was born in Cleveland. He attended St. Joseph High School and received honors playing as tailback on the football team. Howard earned acclaim at the University of Michigan, breaking or tying 12 Michigan records and five NCAA records. In his senior year, he won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award. He graduated in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in communications. He signed with the Washington Redskins, kicking off a successful pro career. In 1997, he played for the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. His record-setting 90-yard punt return and other effective plays earned him the MVP award. That same year, he appeared as himself on three sitcoms, "Everybody Loves Raymond" (CBS, 1996-2005), "Living Single" (Fox, 1993-1998), and "Arli$$" (HBO, 1996-2002). He played in his only Pro Bowl in 2001. He retired a year later and became a football analyst for ESPN. In 2005, he began a regular stint on "College GameDay" (ESPN, 1987-). He provided color commentary for the Detroit Lions Television Network and Fox, and occasionally appeared on the sports analysis show "Mike & Mike" (ESPN, 2005-2017). He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.