Harlan Huckleby

Harlan Huckleby
No. 32, 25
Position: Running back / Kick returner
Personal information
Date of birth: (1957-12-30) December 30, 1957
Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Career information
College: Michigan
NFL Draft: 1979 / Round: 5 / Pick: 120
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Football
Big Ten Team Champion (3x)

Track
All-American (1976, 4x400m)
Big Ten indoor 4x400 Champion
Big Ten Indoor Team Champion (1x)
Big Ten Outdoor Team Champion (1x)
MHSAA State Champion (4x)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 779
Receiving yards: 411
Kickoff return yards: 1300
Player stats at PFR

Harlan Charles Huckleby (born December 30, 1957) is a former professional American football running back and kick returner who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Over the course of his NFL career he accumulated nearly 2500 all-purpose yards, with over half of that being return yards. He had played for three Michigan Wolverines football Big Ten Conference Champions. He also was a member of the Michigan Wolverines track team for one season where he became a Big Ten Champion and All-American as a member of the 4x400m relay race team. He had also been a four-time Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) state champion in track and field. He played high school football at Cass Technical High School, graduating in 1975.

High school

At Cass Technical High School he won the Class A MHSAA 220 yard dash both as a junior in 1974 and a senior in 1975. As a senior, he also won the state championship in the 100 yard dash and the 4x110 yard relay as a senior in 1975.[1] He also competed in the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Championships in 1974 placing fifth in the 440 yard dash.[2]

College

Huckleby appeared in three Rose Bowls.

Huckleby started 30 games for Bo Schembechler's consecutive Big Ten Conference champion Michigan Wolverines during the 1976 through 1978.[3][4][5] During his Michigan Wolverines Career he accumulated a total of 2624 yards rushing, including twenty-five touchdowns and nine 100-yard games.[6] He saw limited action in his three Rose Bowls.[7] When the Wolverines beat Northwestern Wildcats, 69–0, in week six of the 1975 season it was the first time in Michigan history that the Wolverines had three backs who each rushed for at least 100 yards. Harlan Huckleby gained 157 yards, and Michigan tied the modern Big Ten record of 573 rushing yards in the game.[8][9] Huckleby was the leading rusher for Michigan in both of the games in which Michigan had three rushers accumulate 100 yards.[10][11][12]

In track, Huckleby was a member of the 1976 Men's track team. The Men won the Big Ten Conference titles in both indoor and outdoor track that season. Huckleby's 4x400m relay team won the indoor Big Ten Championship race and placed third at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships.[13] Huckleby earned All-American honors for this. Although the team won both Big Ten track titles in 1978 Huckleby was not a member of the team.

Professional career

He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints.[14] He did not play for the Saints during the 1979 NFL season, but instead played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders for eight games in 1979.[15] He played for the Green Bay Packers during the 1980-1985 NFL seasons. During 84 games over the course of six seasons, accumulated ten touchdowns and 779 yards rushing on 242 carries, three touchdowns and 411 yards on 53 receptions, and 1300 kickoff return yards.[16] Although he only totaled 13 career NFL touchdowns in his 84 games, he scored multiple touchdowns a few times,[17] including three in one game once.[18] During the 1981 NFL season, his 5 rushing touchdowns led the Packers and his 8 total touchdowns tied for the team lead with James Lofton.[19] During his first four seasons with Bart Starr as coach the team reached the playoffs once. The team did not reach the playoffs either of his final two seasons with Forrest Gregg as coach. During the 1982 NFL season the Packers reached the second round of the 1982-83 NFL Playoffs.[20]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Moyes, Jim and Bill Khan. "Boys Track and Field Individual Champions - 1970-1979". Michigan High School Athletic Association. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  2. ↑ "Track and Field: Boy's Events" (PDF). AAU Jr. Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 20, 2008. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  3. ↑ "1976 Football Team". The Regents of the University of Michigan. March 31, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  4. ↑ "1977 Football Team". The Regents of the University of Michigan. March 31, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  5. ↑ "1978 Football Team". The Regents of the University of Michigan. March 31, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  6. ↑ "Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page". Regents of the University of Michigan. 2003. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  7. ↑ "Michigan's Bowl History" (PDF). University of Michigan & Host Interactive. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  8. ↑ Palladino, Larry (October 24, 1974). "Hoosiers could have long day in Michigan". Kokomo Tribune.
  9. ↑ Minnesota rushed for 832 against Northwestern in 1905 before the advent of the forward pass.
  10. ↑ "Record Book" (PDF). University of Michigan & Host Interactive. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 29, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2007.
  11. ↑ "Versus Northwestern October 18, 1975". Regents of the University of Michigan. 2003. Archived from the original on May 9, 2005. Retrieved December 27, 2007.
  12. ↑ "Versus Stanford September 18, 1976". Regents of the University of Michigan. 2003. Archived from the original on May 9, 2005. Retrieved December 27, 2007.
  13. ↑ Hergott, Jeremiah, ed. (2008). Two Thousand Eight Michigan Men's Track & Field. Frye Printing Company.
  14. ↑ "1979 NFL Player Draft". databaseFootball.com. databaseSports.com. 2006. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  15. ↑ http://www.profootballarchives.com/1979cflsas.html
  16. ↑ "All-Time Players: Harlan Huckleby". NFL Enterprises LLC. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  17. ↑ "Packers 31, Lions 17". The New York Times Company. December 7, 1981. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  18. ↑ "Packers 35, Vikings 23". The New York Times Company. November 30, 1981. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  19. ↑ "1981 Green Bay Packers". databaseFootball.com. databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  20. ↑ "1982 Green Bay Packers". databaseFootball.com. databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
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