| No. 51 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | (1955-02-06)February 6, 1955 Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||
| Died: | April 3, 1979(1979-04-03) (aged 24) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Chamblee (GA) | ||||
| College: | Tennessee | ||||
| NFL draft: | 1977: 5th round, 135th pick | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Howard Andrew Spiva (February 6, 1955 – April 3, 1979) was anAmerican football player for theAtlanta Falcons of theNational Football League (NFL). He appeared in 13 games for the Falcons in 1977. He was killed in a car accident. TeammateGarth TenNapel was in the same vehicle and was seriously injured.
Spiva was born on February 6, 1955, inChattanooga, Tennessee. He attendedChamblee High School inChamblee, Georgia and theUniversity of Tennessee.[1] At Tennessee, Spiva was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection.[2] He was drafted by theSt. Louis Cardinals in the fifth round of the1977 NFL draft.[3]
Spiva was released by St. Louis that year when the team made its final preseason cuts.[4] He was signed by theAtlanta Falcons shortly thereafter.[5] Falcons coachLeeman Bennett said that the team had become impressed with Spiva when they played Spiva and the Cardinals in a preseason game.[6]
He played in 13 games for the Falcons in 1977.[1] Prior to the 1978 season, Spiva was the top middle linebacker on Atlanta's depth chart before suffering a preseason knee injury.[7] He underwent surgery to repair torn ligaments a few days after sustaining the injury.[8]
On April 3, 1979, Spiva was driving in rainy conditions when his sports car slid off of a street in the Atlanta area and it collided with a tree. Spiva died at Northside Hospital that day after sustaining head and chest injuries. His teammateGarth TenNapel was seriously injured in the crash.[9] Spiva and TenNapel had been close friends since going through knee rehabilitation together the previous year.[7]