desmond howard – game time
sports profile
Former College and NFL Great
Contributor, ESPN’s “College Game Day”
 photo by steed media service |
Desmond Howard was immortalized in the annals of college football in 1991 when the legendary speedster left a blue vapor trail behind him and a stream of Ohio State defenders in his wake, en route to the end zone and the Heisman Trophy. A few years later in the NFL, Howard would electrify the Green Bay Packers with two kickoff runbacks for touchdowns in the Super Bowl victory against New England in the mid-1990s.
Howard was charisma and talent personified. But he always knew that talent was plentiful at historically black colleges and universities, which made his appearance at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee with “College Game Day” all the more special to him. “It feels good as a black professional to bring national attention to the HBCU. Like I said people in my profession, in professional football … are very aware that there are some great athletes who come from HBCUs, and what this does is let the other people in the country know. Good football is played at other places, not just the BCS schools. Hopefully, people who watch this show will know today how much talent there is out there.”
After he completed his NFL career, Howard opted to report on college games instead of the pros. “I think that the opportunity presented itself … which is absolutely the best show for college football. It doesn’t get any better than this. So I had an audition and [took] the opportunity that presented itself. The door opened and I ran through it,” he says after being mobbed by a pack of zealous fans, which is his favorite part of “College Game Day.” “Just being on the stage and seeing the fans enjoying themselves — and just the energy. You can’t really duplicate it. You can’t fake it. It’s real, it’s genuine, and we love it. It keeps you connected to the kids. It’s so genuine and authentic, especially at the collegiate level. You feel blessed, just blessed to be a part of it.” –terry shropshire
