Former Green Bay Packers star wide receiver Billy Howton recently passed away on August 4 at the Bradshaw-Carter Funeral Home. Widely considered one of the most prolific pass catchers of the pre-Super Bowl era, Thornton died in the Houston, Texas-based facility and was believed to be the oldest living NFL player.

Howton was more than a legendary player. He was also the founder and first president of the NFL Players Association , serving from 1958 to 1962 in an era when player rights were almost nonexistent. The death came due to natural causes , per The Score.

Selected by the Packers in the second round of the 1952 NFL Draft following an All-American career at Rice University, Howton quickly made his mark in the league. He became the first rookie in NFL history to record a 1,000-y

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