Howie Long is a former professional defensive end, actor, and sports analyst. Long played college football at Villanova University, where he was selected to play in the Blue–Gray Football Classic and was named the MVP in 1980.

Long played in the NFL for 13 seasons and spent his entire career with the Raiders franchise in Oakland and Los Angeles. During his tenure as a player, Long was named to eight Pro Bowls and helped the Los Angeles Raiders win a championship in Super Bowl XVIII in 1984. Long was voted the NFL Alumni Defensive Lineman of the Year and the NFLPA AFC Defensive Lineman of the Year in 1985. He capped off a stellar 1985 season earning the George S. Halas Trophy for having been voted the NEA's co-NFL Defensive Player of the Year (along with Andre Tippett). He was also named the Seagrams' Seven Crown NFL Defensive Player of the year. The following year, Long was voted the Miller Lite NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year. Both those awards were taken by polls of NFL players. In 1986, Long was voted to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl and was key in helping the Raiders record 63 sacks and being the number one defense in the AFC.He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

After retiring, Long pursued a career in acting and broadcasting and serves as a studio analyst for Fox Sports' NFL coverage. He is the father of former NFL defensive end Chris Long and former NFL guard Kyle Long.