The Greatest Football Player Ever From Lufkin, TX Just Turned 80

Deep in the heart of the majestic pines of East Texas, Lufkin, Texas has produced quite a few outstanding football players. Dez Bryant, Jorovrskie Lane, Don Muhlbach, Reggie McNeal, Carrington Byndom, and Terrence Kiel are just a few athletes who played football for the Lufkin Panthers and went on to play pro football in the NFL.

The Greatest Football Player from Lufkin, Texas

In the 1960s, Ken Houston played high school football at Lufkin's Dunbar High School. He then played college ball at Prairie View A&M, where he was a starting linebacker.

Houston was drafted in 1967 in the 9th round by the Houston Oilers. Usually, players taken that late in the draft have a very small chance of making their team. Houston not only made the squad, but within three games he was a starter (safety).

Ken Houston - Oilers, Redskins

Ken Houston was All-Pro for 3 years with the Oilers, but George Allen, head coach of the then-Washington Redskins desperately wanted Houston on his team. Washington traded 5 veteran players for Houston, a move that Allen would later call a bargain.

Houston would go to 7 straight Pro Bowls while with the Redskins, eventually retiring in the early 1980s. In 1986, the Lufkin native was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The Sporting News named Houston as one of the top 100 pro football players of all time.

On November 12, 2024, Ken Houston celebrated his 80th birthday. Following his playing days on the field, he has been a coach and a guidance counselor for underprivileged kids in the Houston area.