It's hard to belive that Howie Long was not a first round pick in his draft class, but everyone once in awhile an NFL great slips through the cracks and goes unnoticed and until its too late for teams in need of Hall of Fame caliber talent. Representing the state of Massachussetts will be the Somerville-bred defensive end, Howard Matthew Moses Long. The 6'5 defensive lineman played his collegiate ball at Villanova University where he dominated not only on the football field , but in the boxing ring as well. In his first season at the school, Long recorded 99 tackles and later became the Northern Collegiate Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
Howie Long was drafted 48th overall in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders were he would spend his entire football career. In that time, Long became the most unguardable defensive end in the game, notching 84 sacks, recovering 10 fumbles, and catching two interceptions. He helped the Raiders win their last NFL Super Bowl during the team's tenure in Los Angeles in 1984. With eight Pro Bowl invites and three All-Pro First Team selections, Long was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 2000. These days Long has taken his talents to Fox Sports where he is one of the most technical analysts in football broadcasting.
When you fly by private jet charter, you experience travel comfort known only to those who know private jets. And nothing illustrates this luxury better than celebrity private jets. Stars with their own private aircraft fly fancy.
John Travolta, the star of 70s cult movies like “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever”, is not only one of the most famous Hollywood actors, but also one of the best celebrity pilots. John Travolta is a bonafide aviation enthusiast with five private planes total, which he parks on his front lawn. His most impressive aircraft is a customized Boeing 707-138 (as pictured above), a beast of a plane that he acquired in 1998 upon his promotion to an honorary pilot of Qantas, the Australian airline.
Oprah Winfrey’s production company HARPO bought her custom-built Global Express XRS VIP business jet to provide the media mogul and her associates with maximum aviation comfort. Oprah’s private jet features designer fixtures in the bathroom and galley, along with an exquisite all-leather interior. The aircraft was designed by Bombardier Aerospace to perform as a premier long-range business jet. Custom design allowed for an enhanced cabin layout with nine cushy leather seats, aesthetically-placed lighting, and additional luxury amenities. The jet cruises through the air at high speeds, made possible by two Rolls-Royce BR710 turbofan engines, which produce enough power to send HARPO clear across the map with only one refuel stop
Tom Cruise played an elite naval fighter jet pilot in the blockbuster movie “Top Gun”, and he now indulges his real love for flying in his own Gulfstream IV, one of the finest celebrity private jets around. Cruise’s beautiful business jet accommodates up to 19 passengers, providing comfort and class with state-of-the-art furnishings and aircraft technology. The jet even automatically refreshes the air inside the cabin every two minutes. Designed by Gulfstream Aerospace, Cruise’s jet is powered by two Rolls-Royce Tay 611-8 engines, propelling the aircraft to a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet over a maximum range of 7,820 km, zipping through the air at speeds up to Mach 0.80.
Mark Cuban, business mogul and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, landed himself in the Guinness Book of World Records for purchasing his Boeing 767-277 online in 1999, making “the largest single e-commerce transaction”. Cuban modified the jet with large, custom seats to give his team’s lengthy players plenty of room while flying.