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At 86, and with-late stage dementia, Chuck Howley and family wait to hear on Hall of Fame

The former linebacker’s son and daughter-in-law will represent the Super Bowl V MVP in Phoenix

Chuck Howley won’t be awake Thursday evening when the latest Hall of Fame Class is announced.

His family can’t be sure he even understands what’s about to happen.

One of the best players ever to wear a Cowboys uniform suffers from late-stage dementia. The insidious condition has robbed the 86-year-old Howley of his memories for the last eight years.

That doesn’t diminish his accomplishments.

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That doesn’t mean his family won’t celebrate the moment if it comes.

“It’s a bucket list item,’’ his son, Scott, said. “It’s huge.

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“It’s something he’s hoped for his entire career.’’

Howley remains the only athlete in Super Bowl history to be named the game’s Most Valuable Player while playing for the losing team. That came in Super Bowl V when the linebacker had two interceptions and a fumble recovery in the Cowboys’ 16-13 loss to Baltimore.

The bulk of Howley’s NFL career — 13 of his 15 seasons — was spent in Dallas. He was named to the Pro Bowl six times and was honored as a first-team All-Pro five times. The year after earning the MVP trophy in a loss to Baltimore, Howley was a key part of a Cowboys team that picked up the first of five Super Bowl titles with a win over Miami.

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“I don’t know that I’ve seen anybody better at linebacker than Howley,’’ then-coach Tom Landry said 50 years ago upon the player’s retirement.

The Seniors Committee forwarded Howley’s name to the Hall of Fame Selection Committee five months ago to be considered for the Class of 2023. When told he was a finalist, Howley showed no comprehension.

But a short time later, when his caregiver was talking about the honor, something happened.

“My dad looked at him and said, ‘Well, I’m going to need a new suit,’ ’’ Scott recounted. “There was a moment of clarity where he appeared excited about it.’’

Those moments are fleeting.

So Thursday, Scott and his wife Emily will be in Phoenix to represent the family. They will call Friday to fill him in on what took place and try to help him understand.

Whatever happens, these last five months have given the family a chance to relive the patriarch’s career, a career Chuck rarely discussed with his children because he was so modest. Most of what Scott knows about his father’s accomplishments have come from articles and video.

“We’re all thrilled about this,’’ Scott said. “We’re just so excited about dad.’’

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Catch David Moore and Robert Wilonsky as they co-host Intentional Grounding on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) every Wednesday at 7 p.m. through the Super Bowl.

Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN

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