Hall of Fame
Position: Linebacker
Years: 1964-1966
Place of Birth: Waterville, ME
Date of Birth: Mar 09, 1944
Place of Death: South Portland, ME
Date of Death: Jan 29, 2025
Jersey Number: 32
Height: 6-1"
Weight: 215
High School: Waterville (Maine)
One of the greatest football players in state history, John Huard led Maine to its first postseason game during a stellar career in Orono. He becomes the first Black Bear to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
A two-time First-Team All-America (1965, 1966) selection, Huard led Maine to the Tangerine Bowl in 1965. The two-time First-Team All-Yankee Conference honoree recorded 22 tackles in his first game in 1964. Named one of the top 20 athletes in the history of the state of Maine by Sports Illustrated, Huard was the first football player inducted into the Maine Athletic Hall of Fame and the first member of Alfond Stadium’s Ring of Honor.
Chosen by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 1967 NFL Draft, Huard played four seasons with the Broncos and New Orleans Saints. Huard became the head coach at Acadia University, leading the Axemen to Canadian National Championships in 1979 and 1981, before stints with Maine Maritime Academy and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.
He returned to the University of Maine as an offensive line coach in 1974. Huard went on to serve as head coach of Acadia University in Nova Scotia (1979-83), leading the Axemen to the Canadian National Championships in 1979 and 1981. He also served as special teams coach of the Chicago Blitz (1983-84) and made coaching stops at Maine Maritime Academy and with the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL.
Huard became an active participant with the NFF State of Maine Chapter, and he volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club and the Susan Curtis Foundation. The Waterville, Maine, native later worked as the president of Northeast Turf / Eastern Builders, a GreenFields artificial grass system made by TenCate of the Netherlands.
At the age of 80, Huard passed away Jan. 29th 2025.
