In a high school gymnasium in a suburb of Philadelphia, Will Howard threw passes in front of visiting college coaches.
It was January 2019 as Howard, then a junior at Downingtown West High School, looked to make an impression.
He had missed the last half of the previous season after breaking an arm, a setback that stalled his recruitment. Opportunities to stand out on Friday nights and add to any highlight tape vanished.
Sep 16, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Will Howard (18) throws a pass against the Missouri Tigers during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
That led Mike Milano, the Whippets’ longtime coach, to stage throwing sessions in the gym in the middle of winter as a sort of audition. Not long after Howard’s cast was off, he was hurling balls.
“It’s almost insane when you try to explain to folks,” Milano said. “I got a 17-year-old, and I’m pulling him out first-period class to come down to the gym to warm up real quick so some coach from Minnesota or Wisconsin or Maryland or Boston College can watch him throw the ball for 15 minutes. It was pretty crazy.”
But those early mornings five years ago gave staffs at least a glimpse of the quarterback with big aspirations. They were up close to see him zipping passes with velocity.
“If you’ve been around throwers,” Milano said, “you can hear it.”
Scholarship offers followed later that year as Howard emerged as a bona fide prospect.
Kansas State quarterback Will Howard warms up before the start of an NCAA college football game against Missouri Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Howard’s climb only continued this month. After four seasons at Kansas State, he announced he would transfer to Ohio State for his final year of…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/hes-self-made-guy-howard-110500862.html
Author : The Columbus Dispatch
Publish date : 2024-01-22 11:05:00
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