James Walker Howard III (born December 7, 1973) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
who played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for the
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a ...
.
Early years
Howard attended
St. Thomas More High School in
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette (, ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the most populous city and parish seat of Lafayette Parish, located along the Vermilion River. It is Louisiana's fourth largest incorporated municipality by population and the 234th- ...
.
He lettered in four sports while in high school: football, baseball, track, and basketball.
He was drafted in the second round of the
1992 MLB Draft
The 1992 Major League Baseball draft took place on June 1, 1992, through a conference call involving all 28 MLB teams of the time. Phil Nevin of Cal State Fullerton was the first overall selection, chosen by the Houston Astros. Derek Jeter, selec ...
by the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
as a pitcher. Howard, overall pick #59, was selected immediately after the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
selected future
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
and
All Star Jason Giambi
Jason Gilbert Giambi (; born January 8, 1971) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter. In his Major League Baseball (MLB) career, which began in 1995, Giambi played for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yank ...
at #58.
College career
Howard lettered all four years at LSU and was the first true freshman to start at quarterback for LSU since
Steve Ensminger
Steve Ensminger (born September 15, 1958) is an American football coach and former player. He is an offensive analyst at Louisiana State University (LSU).
Early years and playing career
Ensminger was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and attended ...
in
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
. He started six games, and played in eight, as a freshman, started ten games as a sophomore, nine his junior year and seven as a senior. Howard remained a member of the Atlanta Braves organization while enrolled at LSU and played in the Braves' minor leagues after his freshman and sophomore seasons. In his first three years at LSU, he struggled with interceptions, throwing 17 his junior year.
He returned for his senior season in
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
as the Tigers' starting quarterback after sitting out the summer from the Atlanta Braves' organization.
He injured his shoulder midway through the 1995 season in a game against Florida and missed a month of games.
Howard finished his career as the third-leading passer in LSU history with 6,158 yards and second in career touchdown passes with 34.
Statistics
Personal life
Howard's son,
Walker Howard, played quarterback at LSU and currently plays for the
Ole Miss Rebels
The Ole Miss Rebels are the 18 men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams that are funded by and represent the University of Mississippi, located in Oxford. The first was the football team, which began play in 1893.
Originally known as th ...
.
References
External links
LSU profile*
* Football career statistics and player information fro
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Jamie
1973 births
Living people
American football quarterbacks
LSU Tigers football players
Players of American football from Lafayette, Louisiana