Erik Matthew Howard (born November 12, 1964 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts) is a former professional American football defensive tackle who played eleven seasons in the National Football League. He played nine seasons with the Giants, and was a member of the 1986 Giants team that won Super Bowl XXI and the 1990 Giants team that won Super Bowl XXV.

In the 1990 NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers, Howard came up with one of the biggest plays in Giants history. With just over two minutes left in the game, the Giants trailed 13-12, and the 49ers had the game nearly wrapped up when Howard forced running back Roger Craig to fumble the football. Howard popped the ball loose with his helmet, teammate Lawrence Taylor recovered the fumble, and the Giants went on to win the game on a last second Matt Bahr field goal. They won Super Bowl XXV seven days later.

Howard signed with the New York Jets as a free agent in 1994, and played with them for two years before deciding to retire. He currently resides in Marshall, Texas, with his wife Jennifer Howard and three children Jackson Howard, Katelynn Howard, and Keaton Howard.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]