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16. Ken Houston

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16. Ken Houston

From Prairie View A&M, Ken Houston was taken way back in the 9th Round of the 1967 Draft, and it could have been the biggest theft of that year's selection process.  Ironically, the Oilers would make the worst trade in franchise history when they sent him to Washington years later.

The Safety was a starter as a rookie, beginning nine of his 14 Games, and he would make the Pro Bowl the following year and did so again the next four seasons.  Houston was easily one of the top Safeties in the AFL/AFC when he competed as an Oiler, and he picked off 25 passes, returning nine for Touchdowns.  

The Oilers had a superstar in their defensive backs corps, but they made a tactical error; as though they were struggling, they traded him to Washington for five players.  None of the players that Houston acquired would be decent, and the Safety would go to many more Pro Bowls.  

Houston was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is also a member of the NFL 75th and 100th Anniversary Teams.  

As an Oiler, Houston had 25 Interceptions, but he could have had more for the team had they not sent him East.  The Oilers/Titans organization named Houston to their first franchise Ring of Honor class in 1999.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Safety
  • Acquired: Selected in the 9th Round, 214th Overall of the NFL Draft 3/15/67
  • Departed: Traded to the Washington Redskins for Jim Snowden, Mac Alston, Mike Farmed, Jeff Severson, and Clifton McNeil 5/15/73.
  • Games Played: 84
  • Notable Statistics:

    79 Games Started
    25 Interceptions
    650 Interception Return Yards
    9 Interception Return Touchdowns
    11 Forced Fumbles
    102 Fumble Recoveries
    1 Fumble Recovery Touchdown
    45 Punt Returns
    252 Punt Return Yards
    3 Kick Returns
    80 Kick Return Yards
    49 Approximate Value

    2 Playoff Games

  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Pro Bowl (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 & 1972)
    Most Fumble Recovery Yards (1971)

Last modified on Tuesday, 01 August 2023 18:53

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