The six essential cards of Green Bay Packers hall of famer Bill Howton

Bill(y) Howton, one of the great early receivers in the NFL, died on Aug. 4 at the age of 95. He retired as the NFL's all-time leader in receiving yards and receptions in 1963. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro.

It seemed like he was a shoo-in for eventual induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, Howton’s candidacy has never gone past the semifinal stage. Considering his career stats and where he stood in the NFL’s first 40 years, it doesn’t add up.

RELATED: The Essential Football Cards of the 1960s

ALSO: Collector owns unique 1981 Topps Joe Montana rookie card

A wonderful Reddit thread written by the user JaguarGator9 breaks down Howton's career and Hall of Fame candidacy. The essay analyzes his accomplishments and his career stats compared to peers who are in the Hall of Fame. It leaves little doubt that Howton should have a bust in Canton and is an excellent thread.

The most poignant reply to the post came from packmanwiscy, who wrote:

There are actually several off-the-field things that resulted in Howton not being in the Hall.

Howton played for the Packers when we were terrible. Most of his numbers came in garbage time when the Packers were already down a ton. Many Packers from this era credited the lack of success of the team due to Howton obstructing coaches and being purposefully difficult to deal with. He didn't about winning, just getting a paycheck. That's part of the reason why Lombardi traded him before the 1959 season, he didn't want someone in the locker room that influenced the team in that way.

The second reason, which you could argue goes in hand with the first one, is that Billy Howton was one of the most influential people in NFLPA history. He was the first president of the Players Union and heavily bargained to owners for pension rights. A lot of owners hated him for that, which is partially why he spent most of his time on a shitty cold weather team. Owners didn't want him despite his talent. With owners being so influential, they were able to blackball him out of the Hall of Fame until people forgot about him.

I think he should absolutely be in the Hall of Fame with his numbers but there are reasons why he isn't.
Redditor packmanwiscy

1. 1952 Bowman Large #21 (Rookie Card)

1952 Bowman Large Bill Howton Rookie Card — Image Courtesy of PSA

Howton's rookie card appears in 1952 Bowman Large and Small. The difference between the two sets is that one is large (2-1/2” by 3-3/4”) and the other small (2-1/16” by 3-1/8”). His 1952 rookie season was one for the ages, when he led the league with 1,231 receiving yards while hauling in 13 touchdowns.

Howton's Bowman Large card has been graded 163 times, according to GemRate. There are no PSA 10s or 9s. There have been two PSA 8.5 grades and 17 PSA 8s. A PSA 8 sold for $1,288 in May 2023 at Memory Lane. A PSA 7 (population 39) sold for $170 in 2024.

2. 1957 Topps #33

1957 Topps Bill Howton — Image Courtesy of COMC

Howton's most-graded card, 1957 Topps, is recognizable for its horizontal orientation and split-screen design. It has been graded 379 times, but there are no PSA 10s. There are six PSA 9s and 117 PSA 8s with three 8.5s. According to PSA, the most recent public sale of a PSA 9 occurred in 2021, when a copy sold for $560. A PSA 8 copy sold for $47.58 in Dec. 2024.

3. 1956 Topps #19

1956 Topps Bill Howton #19 — Image Courtesy of PSA

1956 Topps contains Howton's second-most graded card. It also contains two of the three PSA 10 cards in existence of Howton from a mainstream release. The other PSA 10 card is from 1961 Fleer.

Howton's card has been graded 237 times. There are two PSA 10s and eight PSA 9s. According to PSA, the last PSA 10 public sale was in 2011 when a copy sold for $471. The most recent sale of a PSA 9 occurred in Feb. 2024 when a card sold for $360.

4. 1958 Topps #6

1958 Topps Bill Howton PSA — Image Courtesy of PSA

Howton’s name is misspelled on his 1958 Topps card. He is referred to as “Billie” phonetically, but with the spelling Billy. Prior to the 1958 season, he made the Pro Bowl in 1957 when he finished with 727 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

The last of his cards to be graded over 200 times by PSA, Howton's 1958 Topps card has been graded 203 times. There are no PSA 10s and only one PSA 9, excluding qualifiers. There are 46 PSA 8s. The last two PSA 8 sales were for $153 and $140, respectively.

5. 1962 Topps #42

1962 Topps Bill Howton Dallas Cowboys — Image Courtesy of PSA

Howton appeared in a Dallas Cowboys uniform in a Topps release for the first time in 1962 Topps. He appeared for the first time in a Cowboys uniform in 1961 Fleer. His 1961 Topps card shows him in a Browns uniform but with the Cowboys team name. Howton is a founding member of the Cowboys, joining the franchise in its inaugural 1960 season. He played his final four seasons with the Cowboys.

This card is seldom graded, submitted to PSA only 129 times. There are no PSA 10s and only one PSA 9. There are 20 PSA 8s and one PSA 8.5. The most recent PSA 8 sale was for $153 in Oct. 2024.

6. 1960 Topps #27

1960 topps bill howton cleveland browns — Image Courtesy of PSA

After seven seasons in Green Bay, Howton joined the Browns in 1959. It was his only season with the Browns. He joined the Cowboys in 1960. It’s interesting to note he’s in the 1960 Topps set as a Brown, both in uniform and in designation. Part of the reason is he notified the Browns he was retiring prior to the 1960 season. But the Cowboys convinced him to un-retire and play for his home state. Howton was born and raised in Texas and played in college for Rice University.

1960 Topps is his fourth-most graded card. There are no PSA 10s, 17 PSA 9s, and 88 PSA 8s. The most recent PSA 9 sale was for $245 in March 2025.