But did you know how his journey brought him to the Broncos? Griffith was drafted in the 9th round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He never played a down as a Colt, seeing time on their practice squad and as a backup before being signed by the LA Rams in 1993. He started 10 games as a Ram logging 16 receptions, 30 rushing yards and 1 TD.
Howard was then selected by the Carolina Panthers in the 1995 expansion draft where he would play for two more seasons, this time seeing a significant spike in both playing time and production. In 1996, his final year as a Panther, Griffith caught 27 balls for 223 yards and a TD while rushing for 7 yards and one more score.
He was signed as a FA FB in 1997 by the Denver Broncos, and the rest they say is history. Howard Griffith spent the remainder of his career as a Bronco, starting 56 games over a four year span. He helped spear head one of the greatest rushing attacks in NFL history for Alex Gibbs and Terrell Davis. Howard was more than just a lead blocker however and he always provided a reliable target out of backfield racking up 69 catches for 445 yards and 6 TD's. In Super Bowl 33 with the focus on Terrell Davis, Griffith scored two rushing TD's on the goalline. I'll always remember #29 as an integral part of our teams championship success, a big mile high salute to Griff!
Back in 1998, Howard was stuffed on a vital 3rd and 3 against the Giants. With a 16-13 lead late in the 4th, the Broncos had to punt. The Giants would go on to score a game winning TD and end the Broncos perfect season. Why do I bring this up? Watch this video and check out the Giants DC--pretty familiar huh?
Howard Griffith currently works as a football analyst for the Big Ten Network and also has a radio gig with ESPN in Chicago. In fact, here's an interview he conducted with current Broncos WR Eric Decker:
Cool 29 Factoid:
Griff played his college ball at Illinois. In 1990, he set an CFB record with 8 rushing TD's in one game:
Notable Broncos to wear #29:
Charles Dimry 1991-1993
Howard Griffith 1997-2001
Current Broncos wearing #29:
Mario Butler