John Wesley "Joe" Houser Jr. (born June 21, 1935) is a former American football offensive lineman who played in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, and St. Louis Cardinals. He played college football at the University of Redlands.
 Houser in 1959 | |||||
| No. 62, 67, 66 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Guard / Center | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | June 21, 1935 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 238 lb (108 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Boys Republic (CA) | ||||
| College: | Redlands | ||||
| Undrafted: | 1957 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Early years
editHouser attended Boys Republic High School, before moving on to the University of Redlands. In college, he played end, tackle, center, fullback, and was the team's placekicker.
He was a part of the 1956 Bulldog's 9-0-0 team, which defeated Occidental College 28–0 with Jack Kemp at quarterback, and Whittier College in the last collegiate game coached by George Allen before moving to the NFL.
Professional career
editLos Angeles Rams
editHouser was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Rams after the 1957 NFL draft.[1] He was named the starter at offensive guard as a rookie.
In 1958, he served a six months military service.[2] He was mostly a backup that played the guard and center position. On September 6, 1960, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 1962 seventh round draft choice (#88-Jim Bakken).
Dallas Cowboys
editIn 1960, he became the first starter at center in Dallas Cowboys franchise history. The next year, he was moved to offensive guard and started 7 games.[3]
In 1962, he missed the entire season with a serious knee injury that he suffered in the first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. He was waived on September 10, 1963.
St. Louis Cardinals
editIn 1963, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals. He announced his retirement on May 19, 1964.[4]
Personal life
editHouser married Mary Alison Hortie.[5]
References
edit- ^ "Rams Strike Gold With Draft Picks". Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "Army Service Set For Ram Gridders". Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "Dallas Will Throw Powerful Offense At Steelers Sunday". Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "Houser Quits Pro Football". Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "Houser Proud Of Being Ram". Retrieved February 3, 2018.