Howard Twilley
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Houston, Texas, U.S.
 Twilley in 1969 | |||||||||
| No. 81 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | December 25, 1943 Houston, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | February 5, 2025 (aged 81) | ||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Galena Park (Galena Park, Texas) | ||||||||
| College | Tulsa (1963–1965) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1966: 14th round, 209th overall pick | ||||||||
| AFL draft | 1966: 12th round, 101st overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL/AFL statistics | |||||||||
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Howard James Twilley Jr. (December 25, 1943 – February 5, 2025) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) from 1966 to 1976. He played college football for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and was the runner up for the Heisman Trophy in 1965. Twilley and tackle Norm Evans were the only two players on the original 1966 Dolphins squad to play on the 1972 Dolphins team that had the NFL's only perfect season and won Super Bowl VII. He was also on the Dolphins team the following year when it again won the championship in Super Bowl VIII.[1]
Twilley began his college career as a cornerback before switching to receiver midway through this sophomore year. During his 1965 season at Tulsa, Twilley set NCAA records for the most receiving yards in a season (1,779), a record that stood until broken by Nevada's Alex Van Dyke in 1995, and for the most receptions in a season (134), which stood until broken by Houston's Manny Hazard in 1989.[2] Among his many dazzling games that season was a five-touchdown, 230-yard effort against Louisville. Twilley also had four more games where he amassed over 200 yards.[3] Following the regular season, Twilley was chosen as the captain of the Academic All-American team and was the MVP of the 1966 Senior Bowl.[3]
He finished his three seasons at Tulsa with 261 receptions for 3,334 yards (a Tulsa record that stood until 2022[3]) and 32 touchdowns, and was enshrined in the school's athletic hall of fame in 1984.[4] In 1992 Twilley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Professional career
Twilley finished his NFL career with 212 receptions for 3,064 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also caught a 28-yard touchdown pass in the Dolphins' Super Bowl VII win over the Washington Redskins.
NFL/AFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1966 | MIA | 6 | 1 | 10 | 128 | 12.8 | 20 | 0 |
| 1967 | MIA | 14 | 10 | 24 | 314 | 13.1 | 42 | 2 |
| 1968 | MIA | 14 | 14 | 39 | 604 | 15.5 | 40 | 1 |
| 1969 | MIA | 4 | 1 | 10 | 158 | 15.8 | 33 | 1 |
| 1970 | MIA | 14 | 10 | 22 | 281 | 12.8 | 23 | 5 |
| 1971 | MIA | 14 | 12 | 23 | 349 | 15.2 | 41 | 4 |
| 1972 | MIA | 13 | 11 | 20 | 364 | 18.2 | 44 | 3 |
| 1973 | MIA | 6 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 19 | 0 |
| 1974 | MIA | 13 | 9 | 24 | 256 | 10.7 | 21 | 2 |
| 1975 | MIA | 14 | 8 | 24 | 366 | 15.3 | 32 | 4 |
| 1976 | MIA | 8 | 6 | 14 | 214 | 15.3 | 39 | 1 |
| 120 | 82 | 212 | 3,064 | 14.5 | 44 | 23 | ||
Playoffs
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1970 | MIA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 14 | 0 |
| 1971 | MIA | 3 | 3 | 8 | 111 | 13.9 | 23 | 0 |
| 1972 | MIA | 3 | 3 | 4 | 61 | 15.3 | 28 | 1 |
| 1973 | MIA | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974 | MIA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | 7 | 13 | 186 | 14.3 | 28 | 1 | ||
Business career
Having earned an MBA from the University of Miami in 1971,[5] after Twilley's football career ended, he pursued a career in business. He owned 28 The Athlete's Foot sporting goods stores before selling them in 1990, and worked in an investment firm. In 1994, he actively considered a run for the United States House of Representatives to succeed Jim Inhofe in Oklahoma's 1st congressional district when Inhofe decided to run for the United States Senate[6] but he ultimately decided to support the candidacy of another conservative Republican former NFL star, Steve Largent.[7] He was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.[8]
Death
Twilley died on February 5, 2025, at the age of 81.[9]
