Marcus Howard (born October 10, 1985) is an American former professional
football player who was a
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) and
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(CFL). He was drafted by the
Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the
2008 NFL Draft. He played
college football for the
Georgia Bulldogs.
Howard has also been a member of the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
.
Early years
Howard played
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
at
Hanahan High School
Hanahan High School is a public high school located in Hanahan, South Carolina, United States. It serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Berkeley County School District. The principal is Tom Gallus.
History
Hanahan High School was ope ...
in
Hanahan, South Carolina
Hanahan is a city in Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 12,937 at the 2000 census. The 2010 census puts the population at 17,997. Portions of the Naval Weapons Station Charleston, including the Naval Consolidated ...
. While there he played
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Ther ...
and
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
and was a three-time all-region and two-time class 2-A all-state choice. As a senior, he was the class 2-A Defensive Player of the Year. He also played
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
and ran
track.
College career
Howard played
college football at
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. He played both
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...
and linebacker. During his senior year, he started all 13 games and achieved First-team All-
SEC honors after recording 41
tackles
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football
** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking u ...
, 10.5
sacks, and three forced
fumbles
A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...
. He finished his career with 79 tackles, 12 sacks, and four forced fumbles. He won the
2008 Sugar Bowl
The 2008 Allstate Sugar Bowl was an American college football bowl game. It was part of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) for the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and was the 74th Sugar Bowl. It was played on January 1, 2008, in the Lo ...
MVP after he posted 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble which he recovered in the
end zone
The end zone is the scoring area on the field, according to gridiron-based codes of football. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field. ...
for a touchdown, and a deflected pass which was intercepted by teammate
Dannell Ellerbe.
Professional career
Indianapolis Colts
Howard was drafted by the
Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the
2008 NFL Draft. He was waived on September 5, 2009.
Tennessee Titans
Howard signed a future contract with the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
on January 13, 2010. He was waived on August 12. He was later re-signed, only to be released again on July 28, 2011.
Edmonton Eskimos
On August 1, 2011, Howard signed a contract with the
Edmonton Eskimos of the
CFL
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
References
External links
Edmonton Eskimos player bioIndianapolis Colts bio*http://www.georgiadogs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=40675&SPID=3571&DB_OEM_ID=8800&ATCLID=308242&Q_SEASON=2007
*https://web.archive.org/web/20111123104626/http://esks.com/article/esks-add-to-d-line
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Marcus
1985 births
Living people
People from Berkeley County, South Carolina
Players of American football from South Carolina
American football defensive ends
American football linebackers
Indianapolis Colts players
Tennessee Titans players
Players of Canadian football from South Carolina
Canadian football defensive linemen
Edmonton Elks players