Howie Long, Wife, Donate $1 Million to Villanova

NFL Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long and his wife, Diane, donated $1 million to their alma mater, Villanova University, as part of the school’s $600 million Comprehensive Capital Campaign.

In recognition, Villanova will name a new weight room in the stadium “The Howie Long Strength Training Center.” The new weight room is part of a building project, set to begin this month, which will create a new home for the school’s football program and an athletic training center to benefit all of the varsity sports.

“We are proud members of the Villanova community and are grateful for all the ways Villanova positively impacted our lives,” said Howie and Diane Long in a statement. “It is important to us to express our gratitude with our gift and join others who strive to enrich the experiences of future generations of Villanova Football players, Villanova athletes and the Villanova family overall.”

The Villanova Stadium West End Zone Project will add on to the Jake Nevin Field House by creating a new facility that will serve as home to the Villanova Football program. In addition to the “The Howie Long Strength Training Center” and other cross-functional spaces, the building will also include a new football locker room and coaches’ offices.

Long was a member of the Villanova football program from 1977-80, during which time he registered 313 tackles. He was named MVP of the Blue-Grey All-Star Classic as a senior. In 1995, Long had his #55 jersey retired by the University. He was drafted in 1981 by the Oakland Raiders and went on to record a Hall of Fame-worthy career. He now works as an NFL analyst for Fox Sports.