Former Washington Football Team linebacker and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Sam Huff, died at age 87 on Saturday, according to his daughter Catherine Huff Myers, via Matt Schudel of The Washington Post.
Huff, who grew up in rural West Virginia during the Great Depression, starred at West Virginia University before entering the NFL as a third-round pick of the New York Giants in 1956.
He spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Giants, where he won a world championship and was named an All-Pro six times.
Huff would sign with Washington in 1964, where he spent the final five seasons of his legendary career. And, while he may not have been the same player in Washington as he was in New York, he became one of the greatest legends in Washington franchise history.
In his final season in 1969, Huff played for the legendary Vince Lombardi.
Huff played 14 NFL seasons, appearing in 168 games, recording 30 interceptions and 17 fumble recoveries. When Huff played, tackles and sacks weren’t official stats, although Huff has been credited with 29 sacks via Pro Football Reference.
The total number of interceptions from someone who played middle linebacker is impressive.
After his playing career, Huff became a successful businessman before joining Washington’s broadcast booth with Sonny Jurgensen and Frank Herzog. His last season in Washington’s booth was in 2012.
Huff is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Washington’s Ring of Honor and the Giants’ Ring of Fame. His No. 75 is retired by WVU. Huff is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the state of West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
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