Justin Donovan Houston was born on January 21, 1989, he is an American football outside linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL).
He played college football at the University of Georgia, where he earned All-American honors, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
A four-time Pro Bowl selection, he was also named to the All-Pro team in 2014. He also played for the Indianapolis Colts for two seasons.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Houston in the third round (70th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. He dropped to the third round after initially being projected as a late first-round pick due to a failed drug test at the NFL Combine. Houston was the ninth linebacker drafted in 2011.
On April 4, 2011, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Houston to a four-year, $2.78 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $1.04 million.
During training camp, Houston competed against veterans Andy Studebaker and Mike Vrabel to be a starting outside linebacker.
Head coach Todd Haley named Houston a backup outside linebacker to begin the regular season, behind starting outside linebackers Andy Studebaker and Tamba Hali.
On July 31, 2021, Houston signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. On November 11, 2021, in a game against the Miami Dolphins, Houston recorded his 100th career sack, sacking quarterback Jacoby Brissett, becoming the 37th player in NFL history to do so.
On May 2, 2022, the Ravens placed an unrestricted free agent tender on Houston worth $2.075 million. He re-signed with the team on July 12, 2022.