Spotted in the hallway by the high school coach when he'd never considered playing football, Howie Long went on to excel at the game, first on an athletic scholarship to Villanova University and later as an eight-time Pro-Bowl defensive end in the National Football League. Hanging up his cleats after the 1993 season (and nine gridiron-induced operations), he made a remarkably smooth transition to TV broadcasting as a studio analyst for "NFL Fox Sunday" and as an ESPN commentator, appealing to both hard-core football nuts and a growing female audience captivated by his square-jawed good looks.
At age 12, parents divorced and pretty much abandoned him; raised by his beloved grandmother and four uncles in Charleston and Milford, MA
1981
Joined the Oakland Raiders (later the Los Angeles Raiders) as defensive end and played his entire 13-year NFL career for the franchise; eight Pro Bowl selections and one Super Bowl win (1984) highlighted his playing days
1994
Retired from football following 1993 season
1994
Began his post-player career as a studio analyst for "Fox NFL Sunday" (also worked as a commentator for ESPN)
1996
Feature film debut as Kelly, John Travolta's villainous henchman, in John Woo's "Broken Arrow"
