Ethan Shane Horton (born December 19, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). He played one season as a

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

for the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

(1985), and seven seasons as a tight end for the

Los Angeles Raiders The Los Angeles Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 before relocating back to Oakland, California, where the team played from its inaugural 1960 season to the 1981 season and then agai ...

(1987, 1989–1993), and the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

(1994).

College career

Horton played college football at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

, where he was an all-

ACC ACC most often refers to: * Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US *American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...

running back and 1984 ACC Player of the Year. In 1981, he was named the co-

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

of the Gator Bowl, and in 1982 he shared MVP honors with two teammates in the Sun Bowl. Horton rushed for 1,107 yards as a junior and 1,247 as a senior. Overall, he rushed for 3,074 yards, caught 46 passes for 495 yards, and scored 27 touchdowns.

Professional career

Horton was selected by the Chiefs with the 15th pick of the 1985 NFL draft. He caught 28 passes in his rookie season, but had a dismal year running the ball, finishing the season with just 146 rushing yards. He was widely considered a bust and cut by the Chiefs at the end of the year. Horton managed to sign on with the Raiders in 1987, but played in just four games and was cut during training camp in 1988. He then returned to North Carolina as an athletic counselor, but was called back to the Raiders in 1989 by owner Al Davis, who had him converted to the tight end position. Although he saw limited playing time in 1989, this ultimately paid off as he caught 33 passes in 1990, and scored a 41-yard touchdown reception in the team's divisional playoff win in the postseason. Horton had his best season in 1991, when he caught 53 passes for 650 yards and five touchdowns, which earned him his only career selection to the pro bowl. He added 77 more receptions with his next two years on the Raiders, and finished his NFL career with the Redskins in 1994. Horton finished his career with 212 receptions for 2,360 yards and 17 touchdowns, along with 241 yards and 3 touchdowns rushing the ball.

References

1962 births Living people People from Kannapolis, North Carolina American football running backs American football tight ends North Carolina Tar Heels football players Kansas City Chiefs players Los Angeles Raiders players Washington Redskins players American Conference Pro Bowl players National Football League replacement players {{tightend-1960s-stub