Harlan Huckleby

Infobox NFLretired


width=
caption=
position=RB/KR
number=25
birthdate=birth date and age|1957|12|30
city-state|Detroit|Michigan, USA
deathdate=
debutyear=1980
finalyear=1985
draftyear=1979
draftround=5
draftpick=120
college=Michigan
teams=Green Bay Packers (1980-1985)
stat1label=Rushing yards
stat1value=779
stat2label=Receiving yards
stat2value=411
stat3label=Kickoff return yards
stat3value=1300
pfr=HuckHa00
dbf=HUCKLHAR01
highlights=Football
Big Ten Team Champion (3x)
Track
All-American (1976, 4x400m)
Big Ten indoor 4x400 Champion
Big Ten Indoor Team Champion (1x)
Big Ten Outdoor Team Champion (1x)
MHSAA State Champion (4x)
HOF=
CollegeHOF=

Harlan Charles Huckleby (born December 30 1957 in city-state|Detroit|Michigan) is a former professional American football running back and kick returner who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Over the course of his NFL career he accumulated nearly 2500 all-purpose yards, with over half of that being return yards. He had played for three Michigan Wolverines football Big Ten Conference Champions. He also was a member of the Michigan Wolverines track team for one season where he became a Big Ten Champion and All-American as a member of the 4x400m relay race team. He had also been a four-time Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) state champion in track and field.

High school

At Cass Technical High School he won the Class A MHSAA 220 yard dash both as a junior in 1974 and a senior in 1975. As a senior he also won the state championship in the 100 yard dash and the 4x110 yard relay as a senior in 1975. [cite web|url=http://www.mhsaa.com/sports/btr/yearlyindv1970.html|title=Boys Track and Field Individual Champions - 1970-1979|accessdate=2007-12-15|publisher=Michigan High School Athletic Association|author=Moyes, Jim and Bill Khan] He also competed in the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Championships in 1974 placing fifth in the 440 yard dash. [cite web|url=http://www.aaujrogames.org/sports/1974/tfresults.pdf|title=Track and Field: Boy's Events|accessdate=2007-12-15|publisher=AAU Jr. Games]

College

Huckleby started 30 games for Bo Schembechler's consecutive Big Ten Conference champion Michigan Wolverines during the 1976-1978 NCAA Division I-A football seasons. [Cite web|url=http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1976fbt.htm|title=1976 Football Team|accessdate=2007-12-15|date=2007-03-31|publisher=The Regents of the University of Michigan] Cite web|url=http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1977fbt.htm|title=1977 Football Team|accessdate=2007-12-15|date=2007-03-31|publisher=The Regents of the University of Michigan] Cite web|url=http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1978fbt.htm|title=1978 Football Team|accessdate=2007-12-15|date=2007-03-31|publisher=The Regents of the University of Michigan] During his Michigan Wolverines Career he accumulated a total of 2624 yards rushing, including twenty-five touchdowns and nine 100-yard games. [cite web|url=http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/footstart.php|title=Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page|publisher=Regents of the University of Michigan|date=2003|accessdate=2007-12-15] He saw limited action in his three Rose Bowls. [cite web|url=http://www.mgoblue.com/document_file/fbl-bowl-history-2003.pdf|title=Michigan's Bowl History|accessdate=2007-12-15|publisher=University of Michigan & Host Interactive] When the Wolverines beat Northwestern Wildcats, 69–0, in week six of the 1975 season it was the first time in Michigan history that the Wolverines had three backs who each rushed for at least 100 yards. Harlan Huckleby gained 157 yards, and Michigan tied the modern Big Ten record of 573 rushing yards in the game. [cite news|author=Palladino, Larry|title=Hoosiers could have long day in Michigan|publisher=Kokomo Tribune|date=1974-10-24] [Minnesota rushed for 832 against Northwestern in 1905 before the advent of the forward pass.] Huckleby was the leading rusher for Michigan in both of the games in which Michigan had three rushers accumulate 100 yards.cite web|url=http://www.mgoblue.com/document_file/fbl-2007spring-records1.pdf|title=Record Book|accessdate=2007-12-27|date=2007|publisher=University of Michigan & Host Interactive] [cite web|url=http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/gametot.php?gkey=259|title=Versus Northwestern October 18, 1975|accessdate=2007-12-27|date=2003|publisher=Regents of the University of Michigan] [cite web|url=http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/gametot.php?gkey=273|title=Versus Stanford September 18, 1976|accessdate=2007-12-27|date=2003|publisher=Regents of the University of Michigan]

In track, Huckleby was a member of the 1976 Men's track team. The Men won the Big Ten Conference titles in both indoor and outdoor track that season. Huckleby's 4x400m relay team won the indoor Big Ten Championship race and placed third at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships. [cite book|title=Two Thousand Eight Michigan Men's Track & Field|editor=Hergott, Jeremiah|publisher=Frye Printing Compamy|year=2008] Huckleby earned All-American honors for this. Although the team won both Big Ten track titles in 1978 Huckleby was not a member of the team.

Professional career

He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. [cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1979&lg=nfl|title=1979 NFL Player Draft|accessdate=2007-12-15
publisher=databaseSports.com|work=databaseFootball.com |date=2006] He did not play for the Saints during the 1979 NFL season. He played for the Green Bay Packers during the 1980-1985 NFL seasons. During 84 games over the course of six seasons, accumulated ten touchdowns and 779 yards rushing on 242 carries, three touchdowns and 411 yards on 53 receptions, and 1300 kickoff return yards. [Cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/players/harlanhuckleby/careerstats?id=HUC415291|title=All-Time Players: Harlan Huckleby|publisher=NFL Enterprises LLC|accessdate=2007-12-15] Although he only totaled 13 career NFL touchdowns in his 84 games, he scored multiple touchdowns a few times, [cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A05E5DE1438F934A35751C1A967948260|title= Packers 31, Lions 17|publisher=The New York Times Company|accessdate=2007-12-15|date=1981-12-07] including three in one game once. [cite web|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0E11FF3C5C0C738FDDA80994D9484D81|title=Packers 35, Vikings 23|publisher=The New York Times Company|accessdate=2007-12-15|date=1981-11-30] During the 1981 NFL season, his 5 rushing touchdowns led the Packers and his 8 total touchdowns tied for the team lead with James Lofton. [cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/teams/teamyear.htm?tm=GNB&yr=1981&lg=nfl|title=1981 Green Bay Packers|accessdate=2007-12-15|publisher=databaseSports.com|work=databaseFootball.com] During his first four seasons with Bart Starr as coach the team reached the playoffs once. The team did not reach the playoffs either of his final two seasons with Forrest Gregg as coach. During the 1982 NFL season the Packer reached the second round of the 1982-83 NFL Playoffs. [cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/teams/teamyear.htm?tm=GNB&lg=nfl&yr=1982|title=1982 Green Bay Packers|publisher=databaseSports.com|work=databaseFootball.com|accessdate=2007-12-15]

ee also

*Lists of Michigan Wolverines football rushing leaders

Notes