Houston J. Antwine (April 11, 1939 – December 26, 2011) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) and

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 college football for the

Southern Illinois Southern Illinois, also known as Little Egypt, is the southern third of Illinois, principally along and south of Interstate 64. Although part of a Midwestern state, this region is aligned in culture more with that of the Upland South than the Mi ...

. He was selected by the AFL's

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...

, then traded to the Boston Patriots in

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

. He is in the Southern Illinois University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Patriots Hall of Fame. A former NAIA wrestling champion, as a defensive tackle, the stocky "Twine" was nearly impossible to move out of the middle. Antwine was cited by Pro Football Hall of Famer

Billy Shaw William Lewis Shaw (born December 15, 1938) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive guard for the Buffalo Bills in the American Football League (AFL). After playing college football with the Georgia Tech Yellow J ...

as one of the American Football League's best pass rushers, athletic and very quick on his feet. He usually drew double-team blocking. He was an American Football League All-Star six straight years, from

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...

through

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Janu ...

, was named to the All-Time All-AFL Team, and to the Patriots All-1960s (AFL) Team. He led the Patriots in sacks 3 times in his career. Houston recorded 39 sacks, recovered four fumbles and had one interception in 142 regular season games for the Patriots. He returned an interception two yards in a 28–20 win over the

Broncos A bucking horse is any breed or either gender of horse with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock. The harder they buck, the more desirable they are for rod ...

on December 12, 1965. Houston led the team in sacks in 1967, 1968 & 1969. Houston was the AFL Defensive Player of the Week as he sacked Dan Darragh three times in the Patriots' 16–7 win over the Buffalo Bills at War Memorial Stadium on September 8, 1968. He was awarded the game ball for his performance in the Patriots' 26–10 win over the New York Jets at Boston College 's

Alumni Stadium Alumni Stadium is a football stadium located on the lower campus of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, approximately west of downtown Boston. It is the home of the Boston College Eagles. Its present seating capacity is 44,500. Offic ...

on September 27, 1964. He posted a career high ten tackles in the Patriots' 33–14 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Bas ...

on December 1, 1968. Houston had four games with at least two sacks and recorded sacks of George Blanda, Joe Namath,

Len Dawson Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. Aft ...

, Bob Griese,

Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury Tarkenton (born February 3, 1940) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at ...

, and Johnny Unitas. He recovered fumbles by Paul Lowe, Darrell Lester, Bert Coan & Dennis Shaw. Houston was an AFL All-Star in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1968.

References

External links

New England Patriots bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Antwine, Houston 1939 births 2011 deaths American football defensive linemen Boston Patriots players New England Patriots players Philadelphia Eagles players Southern Illinois Salukis football players American Football League All-Star players American Football League All-Time Team People from Humphreys County, Mississippi Players of American football from Mississippi American Football League players

See also

References

External links