Harlan Huckleby
Encyclopedia
Harlan Charles Huckleby 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.
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. He also competed in the Amateur Athletic Union
Junior Championships in 1974 placing fifth in the 440 yard dash
.
Huckleby started 30 games for Bo Schembechler
's consecutive Big Ten Conference
champion Michigan Wolverines
during the 1976-1978 NCAA Division I-A football season
s. During his Michigan Wolverines Career he accumulated a total of 2624 yards rushing
, including twenty-five touchdowns and nine 100-yard games. He saw limited action in his three Rose Bowls. 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. Huckleby was the leading rusher for Michigan in both of the games in which Michigan had three rushers accumulate 100 yards.
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. 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.
by the New Orleans Saints. He did not play for the Saints during the 1979 NFL season
. He played for the Green Bay Packers
during the 1980
-1985 NFL season
s. During 84 games over the course of six season
s, accumulated ten touchdowns and 779 yards rushing on 242 carries, three touchdowns and 411 yards on 53 receptions, and 1300 kickoff return
yards. Although he only totaled 13 career NFL touchdowns in his 84 games, he scored multiple touchdowns a few times, including three in one game once. 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
. 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
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and kick returner
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). Over the course of his NFL career he accumulated nearly 2500 all-purpose yards, with over half of that being return yards
Return yards
Return yards is an American football and Canadian football statistical measure that takes several forms. In American and Canadian football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the opposing team's Goal line...
. He had played for three Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
Champions. He also was a member of the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
track team for one season where he became a Big Ten Champion and All-American as a member of the 4x400m relay race
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
team. He had also been a four-time Michigan High School Athletic Association
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
(MHSAA) state champion in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. He played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Cass Technical High School
Cass Technical High School
The Cass Tech Technicians football team is a high school football program in Division 1 Public School League, representing the prestigious Cass Technical High School in Detroit, MI. Cass Tech High School has long been recognized nationwide for its extraordinary football program dating back to its...
, graduating in 1975.
High school
At Cass Technical High SchoolCass Technical High School
The Cass Tech Technicians football team is a high school football program in Division 1 Public School League, representing the prestigious Cass Technical High School in Detroit, MI. Cass Tech High School has long been recognized nationwide for its extraordinary football program dating back to its...
he won the Class A MHSAA 220 yard dash
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
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
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
and the 4x110 yard relay as a senior in 1975. He also competed in the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
Junior Championships in 1974 placing fifth in the 440 yard dash
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
.
College
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
's consecutive Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
champion Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
during the 1976-1978 NCAA Division I-A football season
1978 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first season of Division I-A football; Division I-A was created in 1978 from the splitting of Division I for football only. The season came down to a rare #1 vs. #2 post-season meeting as #1 Penn State and #2 Alabama met in the New Year's Day Sugar...
s. During his Michigan Wolverines Career he accumulated a total of 2624 yards rushing
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
, including twenty-five touchdowns and nine 100-yard games. He saw limited action in his three Rose Bowls. When the Wolverines beat Northwestern Wildcats
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
, 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. Huckleby was the leading rusher for Michigan in both of the games in which Michigan had three rushers accumulate 100 yards.
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
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Championships. 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 Draft1979 NFL Draft
The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1979...
by the New Orleans Saints. He did not play for the Saints during the 1979 NFL season
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
. He played for the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
during the 1980
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
-1985 NFL season
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
s. During 84 games over the course of six season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
s, accumulated ten touchdowns and 779 yards rushing on 242 carries, three touchdowns and 411 yards on 53 receptions, and 1300 kickoff return
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
yards. Although he only totaled 13 career NFL touchdowns in his 84 games, he scored multiple touchdowns a few times, including three in one game once. During the 1981 NFL season
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
, his 5 rushing touchdowns led the Packers and his 8 total touchdowns tied for the team lead with James Lofton
James Lofton
James David Lofton is a former American football player and coach. He is a former American football coach for the San Diego Chargers but is best known for his years in the National Football League as a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers , Los Angeles Raiders , the Buffalo Bills...
. During his first four seasons with Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
as coach the team reached the playoffs once. The team did not reach the playoffs either of his final two seasons with Forrest Gregg
Forrest Gregg
Alvis Forrest Gregg is a former American football player and coach in the National Football League. During a Pro Football Hall of Fame playing career, he was a part of six championships, five of them with the Green Bay Packers before closing out his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys with a win in...
as coach. During the 1982 NFL season
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
the Packers reached the second round of the 1982-83 NFL Playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1982-83
The NFL playoffs following the 1982 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XVII.A players' strike reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special 16-team playoff format , just for this year. Division standings were ignored...
.