Chuck Howley (born June 28, 1936 in Wheeling, West Virginia) was an American football linebacker who spent most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys. Drafted out of West Virginia University by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1958 draft, Howley played for the Bears for two seasons before retiring after what appeared to be a career-ending knee injury during the 1959 season. When Howley decided to make a comeback in 1961 following a West Virginia alumni game, the Bears traded his rights to the Cowboys for draft picks.
Howley played with the Cowboys for 165 games over thirteen seasons, playing in two NFL Championships and helping the Cowboys to two Super Bowls. Howley was also named Super Bowl MVP for Super Bowl V, the first time that a defensive player received the honor and the first and so far only time a player from the losing team won the award. During his career, Howley intercepted 25 passes, returning them for 399 yards. He also had a large number of tackles and quarterback sacks, but these statistics were not compiled until after Howley's career ended. He retired after the 1973 season.
In 1976, Howley was inducted into the Ring of Honor at Texas Stadium, the fourth player to receive that honor.
