Michael Huff
Encyclopedia
Michael Wayne Huff II. (born March 6, 1983) is an American Football
Free Safety for the Oakland Raiders
of the National Football League
. He played collegiately as a CB/S for The University of Texas
Longhorns
.
in Irving, Texas
and was a three-year letterman in football and a four-year letterman in track
. In football, he played wide receiver
, cornerback
, and safety, contributed in the playoffs his freshmen and junior years. In track, he placed seventh at the USATF Junior Nationals and ran a personal best of 10.46 seconds on the 100 meter dash.
His High School number #23 will be retired from Nimitz High School.
at Texas, Huff was selected in 2005 as consensus First Team All American
safety and won the Jim Thorpe Award
as the nation's best defensive back. In 2002, he earned a third-team Freshman All-American selection from the Sporting News. He had four career interceptions returned for touchdowns, a school record. In the Rose Bowl game against USC
, Huff recovered a fumbled lateral from Reggie Bush
, a play that many credit with changing the momentum of the game and helping the 2005 Texas Longhorn football team
win the NCAA National Championship. He also was the key defender who prevented LenDale White
(USC-RB
) from gaining a 1st down on a 4th down and 2 with USC leading late in the 4th quarter. Texas's Vince Young
then marched down the field and scored the touchdown that secured the Longhorn victory.
in the 2006 NFL Draft
. After immediately being named the starter at strong safety in his rookie year, he recorded 78 tackles. On October 22, 2006, in a game against the Arizona Cardinals
, Huff recorded 4 solo tackles and his first safety. He started all 16 games in his rookie season.
on November 11, 2007. His first interception came in a game against rivalry team Kansas City Chiefs
, which set up kicker
Sebastian Janikowski
for the field goal, which lead to a victory 20-17. Huff ended the game with an impressive performance, adding in 9 total tackles (7 solo, 2 assists). The following week, against another rivalry team, the Denver Broncos
, Huff sacked Broncos Quarterback
Jay Cutler
. Huff finished his 2007 season with 85 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 1 interception.
Huff was moved to free safety after the acquisition of Gibril Wilson
.
.
.
. For the second straight year, Huff finished with 3 interceptions, along with career highs in almost every defensive category on his way to his first All-Pro section, one of 8 safeties selected as a 2nd team All-Pro. Huff finished the season with 94 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 3 interceptions.
, he was still the starting free safety playing next to Tyvon Branch in a win over the Denver Broncos
.
On October 9, 2011 against the Houston Texans
, Huff intercepted his first pass of the year in the endzone with no time remaining to ensure victory for the Raiders.
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...
Free Safety for the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in 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...
. He played collegiately as a CB/S for The University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
Longhorns
Texas Longhorn Athletics
Texas Longhorns athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of The University of Texas at Austin. These teams are referred to as the Texas Longhorns , taking their name from the Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and are now the...
.
High school career
Huff attended Nimitz High SchoolNimitz High School (Irving, Texas)
Chester W. Nimitz High School is a public high school in the Irving Independent School District, Irving, Texas. It was named for U.S. Navy Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Nimitz High School is one of four public high schools in the Irving Independent School District...
in Irving, Texas
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
and was a three-year letterman in football and a four-year letterman in track
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...
. In football, he played wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
, and safety, contributed in the playoffs his freshmen and junior years. In track, he placed seventh at the USATF Junior Nationals and ran a personal best of 10.46 seconds on the 100 meter dash.
His High School number #23 will be retired from Nimitz High School.
College career
As a defensive backDefensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
at Texas, Huff was selected in 2005 as consensus First Team All American
2005 College Football All-America Team
The 2005 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN, CBS Sports, College...
safety and won the Jim Thorpe Award
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
as the nation's best defensive back. In 2002, he earned a third-team Freshman All-American selection from the Sporting News. He had four career interceptions returned for touchdowns, a school record. In the Rose Bowl game against USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, Huff recovered a fumbled lateral from Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, a play that many credit with changing the momentum of the game and helping the 2005 Texas Longhorn football team
2005 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2005 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season, winning the Big 12 Conference championship and the national championship. The team was coached by Mack Brown, led on offense by quarterback Vince Young, and played...
win the NCAA National Championship. He also was the key defender who prevented LenDale White
LenDale White
LenDale Anthony White is an American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California....
(USC-RB
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...
) from gaining a 1st down on a 4th down and 2 with USC leading late in the 4th quarter. Texas's Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
then marched down the field and scored the touchdown that secured the Longhorn victory.
2006 season
Michael Huff was selected in the 1st round (7th overall) by the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. After immediately being named the starter at strong safety in his rookie year, he recorded 78 tackles. On October 22, 2006, in a game against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Huff recorded 4 solo tackles and his first safety. He started all 16 games in his rookie season.
2007 season
His first forced fumble came in his second year in a match-up against the Houston TexansHouston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on November 11, 2007. His first interception came in a game against rivalry team Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, which set up kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
for the field goal, which lead to a victory 20-17. Huff ended the game with an impressive performance, adding in 9 total tackles (7 solo, 2 assists). The following week, against another rivalry team, the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Huff sacked Broncos Quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
. Huff finished his 2007 season with 85 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 1 interception.
Huff was moved to free safety after the acquisition of Gibril Wilson
Gibril Wilson
Gibril Donald Wilson is an American football safety for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee.Wilson earned a Super Bowl ring with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII...
.
2008 season
After recording just 12 tackles through the first 5 games of the 2008 season, Michael Huff was benched from his free safety position in favor of Hiram EugeneHiram Eugene
Hiram Eugene is an American football safety for the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
.
2009 season
At the start of the 2009 season, Oakland had Hiram Eugene and Huff splitting snaps. Huff displayed excellent ball skills in the first two weeks, intercepting 3 passes. Huff finished the season with 59 tackles, half a sack and 3 interceptions, playing next to strong safety Tyvon BranchTyvon Branch
Tyvon A. Branch is an American football safety for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Connecticut.-Oakland Raiders:Branch was selected by the Raiders in the 4th round...
.
2010 season
Huff opened the 2010 season as the Raiders starting free safety, still playing next to Tyvon Branch. The 2010 season would be the Raiders best season at 8-8 since losing the Super Bowl to Tampa Bay in the 2002 NFL season2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
. For the second straight year, Huff finished with 3 interceptions, along with career highs in almost every defensive category on his way to his first All-Pro section, one of 8 safeties selected as a 2nd team All-Pro. Huff finished the season with 94 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 3 interceptions.
2011 season
On opening day of the 2011 NFL season2011 NFL season
The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on...
, he was still the starting free safety playing next to Tyvon Branch in a win over the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
On October 9, 2011 against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Huff intercepted his first pass of the year in the endzone with no time remaining to ensure victory for the Raiders.
External links
- Michael Huff profile at Mack BrownMack BrownWilliam Mack Brown is head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn football team.Prior to his head coach position at Texas, Brown was head coach at Appalachian State, Tulane, and North Carolina. Brown is credited with revitalizing the Texas and North Carolina football programs...
Texas Football