Howell felt he had no chance playing quarterback in the NFL due to his race.
"I know I'm not going into the NFL as a black quarterback," is what Howell told his coach, the legendary Eddie Robinson.
[4] So, he changed to cornerback, winning a starting job in 1966, and moved to free safety in 1968.
[5] In 2012, the Cleveland Plain Dealer selected Howell as one of the 100 best players in Browns history.
This biographical article relating to an American football defensive back born in the 1940s is a stub.