Houston was chosen in the first round of both the AFL draft by the Buffalo Bills and the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. Like his older brother Lin Houston, Jim chose the Browns. He originally played as a defensive end under head coach Paul Brown, but later moved to linebacker under Blanton Collier. At linebacker he became a four-time Pro Bowl selection, and helped the Browns win the 1964 NFL Championship. He died on September 11, 2018 at his home in Sagamore Hills of complications of dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).