| No. 57, 52, 32 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | (1944-03-09)March 9, 1944 Waterville, Maine, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | January 29, 2025(2025-01-29) (aged 80) South Portland, Maine, U.S. | ||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||
| Listed weight | 228 lb (103 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Waterville (Waterville, Maine) | ||||||
| College | Maine (1964–1966) | ||||||
| NFL draft | 1967: 5th round, 113th overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
Playing | |||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
Coaching | |||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||
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| Career NFL/AFL statistics | |||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||
| Career |
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John Roland Huard (March 9, 1944 – January 29, 2025) was an Americanfootball player and coach. He playedcollege football as alinebacker for theMaine Black Bears and was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame. He played eight seasons of professional football (six in theNational Football League and two in theCanadian Football League). Huard was the head football coach atAcadia University and theMaine Maritime Academy and was the head coach of CFL'sToronto Argonauts.
Huard playedcollege football at theUniversity of Maine forBlack Bears from 1964 to 1966. He was a two-time first teamLittle All-America (1965, 1966) and helped lead the Black Bears to the1965 Tangerine Bowl. He held the team records for most tackles in a season, most tackles in a single game, and longest interception return at the time of his graduation.[1]
In 2003, Huard was the first player inducted into the "Ring of Honor" atAlfond Stadium. In 2014, he was the first Maine player elected to theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2014.[2]
Huard was selected by theDenver Broncos in the fifth round of the1967 NFL/AFL draft.[3] He played three seasons for the Broncos, but missed all of1970 due to a knee injury. While out of football, Huard worked as an ambassador for a trucking company and was an assistant to the Maine commissioner of economic development. In 1971, Denver traded Huard to theNew Orleans Saints for an undisclosed draft pick.[4] He was injured in the season opener and missed the rest of the season.[5] He resigned with the Saints in 1972, but was released before the team's first preseason game.[6] He then signed with theNew England Patriots, but was released as part of the final cuts before the start of the regular season.[7]
Following his release from the Patriots, Huard signed a multi-year contract with the CFL'sMontreal Alouettes.[8] Huard walked out of Alouettes training camp in 1973 and was placed on waivers.[9] He was brought back to the team due to an injury toJunior Ah You.[10] After four games, he was placed on the 30-day injury list with a pulled hamstring.[11]
After unsuccessful negotiations with theBirmingham Americans of theWorld Football League, Huard announced his retirement.[12]
Huard began coaching in 1974 underWalter Abbott at Maine. In 1979, he became head coach of theAcadia Axemen. He led the team to twoVanier Cup championships (1979 and 1981).[13]
In 1983, he was hired byJ. I. Albrecht to coach theAtlantic Schooners expansion franchise. However, the team never played a game and Huard remained at Acadia for one more season before becoming thespecial teams coach of theChicago Blitz of theUnited States Football League (USFL).[13] In 1987, Huard was hired as head football coach of theMaine Maritime Academy. Huard coached the Mariners until 1994, when he was hired by former boss J. I. Albrecht to coach the CFL's expansionShreveport Pirates. That June, before Shreveport had even played a game, Huard was fired by Pirates presidentLonie Glieberman and replaced byForrest Gregg.[14] Glieberman cited "philosophical differences" as the reason for the change, howeverThe Times reported that Huard may have been fired because of awalkout by team's medical training staff following a verbal altercation between Huard and a trainer.[15]
In2000, Huard was hired by Albrecht again, this time as head coach of theToronto Argonauts. His tenure lasted eight games with a record of 1–6–1. He resigned after a 51–4 home loss to theBritish Columbia Lions.[16]
Huard was the northeast representative ofFieldTurf and CEO of Northeast Turf ofSouth Portland, Maine. He oversaw the installation of FieldTurf atGillette Stadium during the2006 NFL season.[17]
Huard donated $20,000 towards the construction ofUniversity of Maine's Mahaney Dome and nearly $1 million towards renovations toAcadia University'sRaymond Field.[18][19]
Huard died on January 29, 2025, at the age of 80, at his home in South Portland.[20][21]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine Maritime Mariners(New England Football Conference)(1987–1993) | |||||||||
| 1987 | Maine Maritime | 0–8 | 0–5 | 6th(North) | |||||
| 1988 | Maine Maritime | 2–7 | 0–6 | 7th(North) | |||||
| 1989 | Maine Maritime | 5–4 | 1–4 | 5th(North) | |||||
| 1990 | Maine Maritime | 5–4 | 3–2 | 3rd(North) | |||||
| 1991 | Maine Maritime | 5–3 | 3–2 | T–2nd(North) | |||||
| 1992 | Maine Maritime | 6–3 | 5–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1993 | Maine Maritime | 9–1 | 7–1 | 1st | W ECAC Bowl | ||||
| Maine Maritime: | 32–30 | 19–23 | |||||||
| Total: | 32–30 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Result | |||
| TOR | 2000 | 1 | 6 | 1 | .143 | 4th in East Division | – | – | (fired) | |