The NFL Draft is nearly two weeks old and former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard is already gaining massive praise from his former coach, Ryan Day.
Selected in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers last month, Howard will have much to prove before becoming a starter, given that the team is still searching for a long-term answer at quarterback.
Despite the potential waiting game Howard will soon endure, Day told ESPN's Heather Dinich Howard couldn't be in a better situation. All things considered, Day said the Pennsylvania native is prepared to take the next step toward stardom and becoming part of the NFL's next quarterbacking generation.
"It’s exciting, man, to see him go there, for their need, for their situation, it’s a great opportunity for him,” Day said. "You just get to the point where you just get stressed out because you don’t know where it’s going to be. You see these other guys getting drafted and just want to know where you’re going to be. So I know those were a long couple days for him, but ultimately, a lot of relief knowing he’s going to a great organization.”
Howard was ecstatic when the Steelers chose him. On draft night, he rooted for getting the long-awaited phone call captured on "Hey Rookie: Welcome to the NFL."
"Please pick me, Pittsburgh,” Howard said.
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Howard has publicly discussed how overlooked he has been throughout his football journey thus far. From Penn State passing on the in-state product to his years at Kansas State, Howard finally got his moment to shine this past year with a championship victory against Notre Dame. Behind Howard and a dominant defense, the Buckeyes became the first team to conquer the postseason after it expanded from four to 12 teams.
Now, Howard will have to prove more doubters wrong. After all, this is nothing new.