Nobody is aware of what rookie quarterback Will Howard will change into. As a sixth-round choose, his odds are lengthy, and the mountain to climb is steep. However former QB Ben Roethlisberger and former OC Randy Fichtner just like the look of Howard, giving him an opportunity to surpass expectations. Fichtner served as a visitor on the most recent episode of Roethlisberger’s Footbahlin podcast, with each providing reward for Howard.
“He appears like an enormous man,” Fichtner informed Roethlisberger and co-host Spencer Te’o. “Seems like he’s a caring man. Seems like he breathes soccer. Seems like he loves the sport. It appears like he in all probability loves the Steelers. I imply, completely. Already loves the Steelers. That’s a mindset alone that’s a constructive.”
Howard was overcome with emotion after Pittsburgh drafted him within the sixth spherical of April’s draft. The NFL Community documentary crew that adopted Howard all through the pre-draft press convention caught a number of moments of Howard both impressed by his Steelers’ interactions or explicitly hoping to be drafted by Pittsburgh, a want that got here true and took a Pennsylvania native again residence.
Although it’s solely been spring exercises, Howard has generated constructive press thus far. His maturity, poise, and work ethic have all been praised. Roethlisberger invited him and teammate Jack Sawyer on an earlier version of his podcast. The 2 bonded over their love of basketball rising up and related upbringings as gentle recruits who proved loads of doubters flawed.
Roethlisberger continued to reward Howard’s make-up, although he admitted judging him as a quarterback continues to be too early.
“The explanation I preferred him is when he goes and loses the primary sport at Oregon. Slides, we talked in regards to the present, he misplaced the sport. He is aware of he misplaced the sport. He bounces again and wins and blows them out within the Rose Bowl. After which wins the nationwide championship. There’s one thing to be mentioned about that. He might have stop. He might have let his staff down. Numerous issues might have occurred. He didn’t. He appears like a winner to me.”
Howard has received in all places he’s gone. He introduced Kansas State to a Large 12 Championship that few anticipated this system to realize. He received a title at Ohio State regardless of robust regular-season losses to Oregon and Michigan, not letting these moments spoil the season.
Profitable on the NFL stage is a unique sort of problem, however Fichtner and Roethlisberger see the intangibles in Howard that present the muse for a profitable profession. Studying from Aaron Rodgers, open to being a mentor, definitely received’t damage.
