Southern University students and Jaguar fans all across the nation love the thrill of a Jaguar football game. They groan when a player struggles on the field, and they jump, cheer, and taunt the opposition when a touchdown is made.
Many spectators get so enthralled in the excitement of the game that they fail to pause and consider the hard work each athlete personally contributes to the game. Their individual efforts can be overlooked in the flow and exhilaration of a particularly grueling match.
As such, Austin Howard, quarterback of the Jaguar Nation’s football team, spoke out about his own individual mindset and journey outside of the collective experience that gives everyone that characteristic game-time thrill.
When asked about what made player number seven such a standout contributor to the team, Quarterback Coach, Matt Leone, was quick to point out Austin’s work ethic. He described how Austin’s career as a four year starter was essential to giving him necessary game experience.
However, Coach Leone made it very clear that Austin extended his work regimen beyond the field in order to optimize his effectiveness on the field, saying, “He’s been putting in hours of preparation in the film room in order to succeed in his position. He’s been doing a great job.”
For Austin, the journey to the Ace W. Mumford Stadium began years ago, when he was six years old.
“I got into playing football at age six, playing Little League,” he explained.
He played for four years until, at age ten, he decided to take a break from the sport.
The hiatus was short lived, and Austin commenced playing again in junior high school. Though he had begun his middle school career playing as a defensive end, he was in the quarterback position by seventh grade.
Upon being asked about his motivation, Austin was quick to cite his mother as the source.
“She worked two jobs. She dropped me and my brother off at our grandma’s house, and then she’d come get us when she got off,” Austin explained that he always kept his mother and the sacrifices she had made in his childhood as his reason to work so hard, on and off the field.
While the quarterback was able to cite his mother’s diligence as his reason to keep pushing, he also credited several other factors in his decision to come play for Southern University.
Such factors included his predecessor in the quarterback position, who had become a reliable mentor and role model to him, and the similarity between Southern football’s operating system and that of his old high school.
Despite those factors, Howard named one other largely important factor in his decision to rep SU: the team’s loyal and devoted fan base. “The Jag Nation really showed love,” he said.
When he’s on the field, the quarterback maintains a clear and level head, and remains open to anything the coaches say.
For others looking to achieve this level of skill, Austin recommends watching film, and practicing hard.
“It’s all about mentality and attitude. It’s how you wake up. If you wake up thinking you’re going to conquer the day, you will,” he encouraged.
It is evident that Austin Howard is the perfect embodiment of his advice when he steps onto the football field.
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A Southern Highlight: Quarterback Austin Howard Details What Fuels his Success
November 21, 2017
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