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Hudson Houck, one of the most respected offensive line coaches in the NFL, is entering his third season as a member of the Dolphins’ staff. A veteran of 24 years as an NFL assistant, Houck came to the Dolphins after spending the previous three years in the same capacity with San Diego.
In 2005, Houck transformed an offensive line that ranked fourth in the NFL in sacks allowed with 26, the lowest total by the Dolphins over the last three years, and half the total that they permitted in 2004. Houck’s unit also played an integral role in the success of the Dolphins’ running game, which averaged 4.3-yards per rush attempt. Last season, the running game averaged 4.2 yards per attempt, the first time a Dolphins team averaged 4.0 or better in consecutive seasons since the 1986-87 campaigns. Second-year running back Ronnie Brown put together his first 1,000-yard rushing season as a pro with 1,008 yards.
With the Chargers in 2004, Houck helped to revitalize an offensive line which featured five new starters from the previous year. The Chargers ranked tenth in the NFL in total offense, including a No. 6 finish on the ground, as they averaged 136.6 yards rushing per contest. LaDainian Tomlinson ran for more than 1,300 yards in each of Houck’s three years there, including more than 1,600 in his first two. The Chargers’ line permitted just 21 sacks in 2004, the fourth-lowest total in the NFL and the eighth-fewest in that franchise’s 45-year history. Overall in Houck’s three seasons with the Chargers, the offensive line allowed an average of only 24.6 sacks per season. Their total of 74 sacks over this three-year period was the fourth-lowest in the NFL over this stretch.
Houck joined the Chargers following a nine-year stint as offensive line coach with the Dallas Cowboys (1993-2001). This included four years (1994-97) when he also held the title of assistant head coach. Over this nine-year period, the Cowboys permitted a total of only 203 sacks, the lowest figure in the NFL. They yielded less than 20 sacks three times and less than 30 on six occasions. During Houck’s tenure in Dallas, six different offensive linemen made a total of 22 trips to the Pro Bowl. This group included Larry Allen (7), Nate Newton (5), Erik Williams (4), Ray Donaldson (2), Mark Stepnoski (2) and Mark Tuinei (2). The unit helped Emmitt Smith to a pair of NFL rushing titles over this nine-year stretch as he ran for more than 1,000 yards each time.
Prior to his stint with the Cowboys, Houck spent one year (1992) tutoring the offensive line with the Seattle Seahawks, when Chris Warren rushed for 1,017 yards, the first time in his career that he reached the 1,000-yard mark. This came on the heels of another successful nine-year run, with the Los Angeles Rams from 1983-91. Over his nine-year stint with the Rams, there were seven different individual 1,000-yard rushing seasons and four individual league rushing titles, including an NFL-record 2,105 yards by Eric Dickerson in 1984. Over this stretch, five different Rams offensive linemen were voted to a combined 21 Pro Bowls, including Jackie Slater (7), Doug Smith (6), Kent Hill (3), Dennis Harrah (3) and Tom Newberry (2). In the final three years of Houck’s tenure with the Rams, quarterback Jim Everett passed for more yards than any other signal caller over this span and he also did not miss a start from 1988-91.
Overall in his 24 years as an NFL assistant, Houck’s lines have paved the way for twenty individual 1,000-yard rushing seasons. The running backs who benefitted from the blocking, which have compiled six NFL rushing titles, consist of Emmitt Smith (Dallas, 9), Eric Dickerson (Rams, 4), LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego, 3), Greg Bell (Rams, 2), Ronnie Brown (Miami, 1), Chris Warren (Seattle, 1) and Charles White (Rams, 1).
Before embarking on his NFL coaching career, Houck tutored the offensive line at his alma mater, USC, from 1976-82. During this time, he helped send numerous Trojans to the NFL including Marvin Powell, Pat Howell, Brad Budde, Anthony Muñoz, Keith Van Horne, Chris Foote, Roy Foster, Bruce Matthews, Don Mosebar and Tony Slaton, among others. This group helped lead the way for Heisman Trophy-winning running backs Charles White and Marcus Allen, in addition to another USC great Ricky Bell, an NFL first-round draft choice in 1977.
Houck was a center at USC from 1962-64 and was part of the Trojans’ 1962 national championship squad. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Crescenta Valley (Calif.) High School in 1966. After serving two years in the United States Army, Houck returned for one season at Crescenta. He then moved on to coach the freshmen team at USC from 1970-71 before becoming Stanford’s offensive line coach in 1972, a position he held for four seasons. In his first year with the Cardinal, he also was the Freshman Coach.
During his tenure with the Cowboys, Houck was a supporter of The Rise School of Dallas, a nonprofit organization which provides educational services to children with Down’s Syndrome. He and his offensive linemen, in conjunction with The Rise School, participated in the First Down for Down Syndrome fund-raising program.
A Los Angeles native, Houck attended that city’s Eagle Rock High School. He has a son, Troy. His wife Elsie, has two children, Scott and Holly. |
