Howard Louis Ballard (born November 3, 1963) is an American former professional
football player who was an
offensive tackle in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for the
Buffalo Bills and
Seattle Seahawks. He was selected by the Bills in the 11th round of the
1987 NFL Draft.
Nicknamed "House", for his sturdy build, he played in four
Super Bowls and was selected to two
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
s while a member of the Bills. He played
college football at
Alabama A&M University
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (Alabama A&M) is a public historically black land-grant university in Normal, Huntsville, Alabama. Founded in 1875, it took its present name in 1969. AAMU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marsh ...
.
After breaking his leg in a game, which ended his career, Ballard worked as a sheriff's deputy in
Clay County, Alabama
Clay County is a county in the east central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the population was 14,236. Its county seat is Ashland. Its name is in honor of Henry Clay, famous American statesman, member of the United S ...
. He eventually returned to school to finish his degree, and started coaching high school football in
Pike County, Alabama
Pike County is located in the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the population was 33,009. Its county seat is Troy. Its name is in honor of General Zebulon Pike, of New Jersey, an explorer who led an expedition to southern Colorado a ...
.
References
1963 births
Living people
People from Ashland, Alabama
American football offensive tackles
Alabama A&M Bulldogs football players
Buffalo Bills players
Seattle Seahawks players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
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