Earl Howard

Lineman (1941-42)

Earl Howard was selected to the Hall of Fame to represent the great teams of 1941-42 and for the support he has given to the Coffeyville Red Ravens over the many years he has been associated with the program.  He represents the longest winning streak during those years.  The Ravens won 26 straight games.

He was an aggressive guard from Coffeyville.  Earl started for the Golden Tornado in 1939-40.  Although he was only 5’8” and weighed 156 pounds, he played both sides of the ball.  He was the type of player that has made the Red Ravens one of the special programs over the years.

The Ravens won three successive Kansas championships.  Those teams spread the name of Coffeyville all over the football world.  It is not often that a junior college football team gains national recognition, and it is not often that any team wins 26 consecutive games.

The Ravens won one game in 1939 after Iola had beaten them 12-6 and then marched through the next three campaigns without a loss adding 26 wins to their total.  During that time, there was no junior college or four year college in the United States that could boast such an enviable record.  The games had been played on gridirons blanketed with mud, on fields of frozen, hard ground and in warm and cold conditions alike, and the final verdict was always the same: Coffeyville Red Ravens were victorious.

The 1941 team was doubly outstanding considering the fact that only three regulars returned from the 1940 championship squad.  Coaches Warren “Dink” Littrell and Demp Cannon led the Ravens through the three seasons.  Though a galaxy of splendid backs were available, the coaches still found themselves with the lightest team in the conference.  Earl Howard was one of the spark plugs that made the Ravens the best in the state of Kansas.

When World War II came along there was no junior college football in 1943, 1944, or 1945.  The 1946 team continued the winning streak before losing in the Papoose Bowl in Oklahoma City.

Earl was raised on a farm by his grandmother.  He worked part time for Union Gas Company during his college days.  After the war, Earl worked for over 40 years for Union Gas in Coffeyville.  He was associated with Crescent Oil Company, which was a part of Union Gas for 14 years.  At the present time, Earl stays busy with 16 Jump Start stores that he oversees, plus Crescent Oil sells gasoline to over 65 stores.

Earl’s second wife, Leona, passed away two years ago.  He has two children, Carolyn Temple and Dick Gowen.  Earl has been an active member in the Red Raven Letterman’s Club where he has served as secretary/treasurer for the past four years.