Mike Milano knew
Will Howard was ready to take over as the starting quarterback of Downingtown West High School as a sophomore. But there was a roadblock on the way to making that decision.
Milano, a head coach for more than 30 years in Pennsylvania, had a returning senior starting quarterback. Despite being sure Howard was the guy for the job, Milano tried to make the quarterback competition as even as he could. The coaching staff tracked everything throughout the offseason, from spring practices to summer workouts and 7-on-7.
When the pads were put on, Milano made it known that Howard won the job. Still, he was worried about what that would do to the team. Would the seniors embrace Howard as a leader?
“It took one quarter for Will to win all those kids over,” Milano said.
There was no specific play or secret to what Howard did at Downingtown West that helped the rest of his teammates embrace him so quickly. It’s more of what he did on a daily basis, Milano said.
“It’s just who he is,” he said. “They will know he’s all in and not a selfish kid.”
Howard has been thrown into a similar position as a newcomer six years later. A graduate transfer at
Ohio State, Howard is entering one of the most important offseasons of his career. He’s becoming the quarterback of a team with national championship expectations, something that wasn’t the case at
Kansas State, where he started 27 games over four seasons. He also has just one year left to solidify his status as an NFL Draft prospect.
efore he can do any of that, he has to win over the locker room and coaching staff.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day often says the most important thing about being the quarterback of the Buckeyes is the leadership that begins with January workouts.
“A big part of playing quarterback here is what goes on in that weight room, the leadership and the way that guys work, you have to build credibility up amongst your teammates,” Day said. “I think Will is doing that.”
As he continues to acclimate himself to his teammates and new city, his focus will turn to working with new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly after a whirlwind first month in Columbus. Howard committed to Ohio State
on Jan. 4. Day named Bill O’Brien offensive coordinator
on Jan. 19. O’Brien’s stay didn’t last long, as he landed the head coaching job
at Boston College last week. In his place,
Ohio State brought in Kelly, who left the head coaching job at
UCLA to call plays for Day, his former pupil at New Hampshire.
Kelly is known for his offensive mind. And that’s what Milano, who knew Kelly when he was recruiting Pennsylvania as the head coach at New Hampshire, told Howard when they talked after Kelly was hired.
“I told Will, (Kelly) is one of the brightest and nicest guys I spoke with,” Milano said.
Howard, by all accounts, is a multi-faceted fit for the Buckeyes. No, he might not be the flashy transfer that Justin Fields was, but he’s proven his ability to lead a team with his fiery competitive spirit, high IQ and versatility on the field.
He was willing to go to the
NFL if he didn’t end up at Ohio State, but it was similar in some ways to his high school recruitment. Early on, Ivy League schools were high on Howard’s list, Abrams said.
“He knew the big picture was, ‘I get to play ball and if I’m good enough they’ll find me and I can get a great education,’” Abrams said. “His family was so good about doing their own research and coach Milano gave him good advice. He had a good village around him.”
As he recovered from his broken arm, some Power 5 schools jumped aboard once they could see him throw. He thought he was ready to commit to one Power 5 school after a visit. Milano, who refrained from naming the school, said Howard was told he had two days after the visit to make a decision about his offer. One day passed and the school called him and told him the offer was gone. Somebody else committed and took his spot.
That left Howard searching for somewhere to go, so he started sending film to more college coaches. Kansas State was an enticing option after what the coaching staff did with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz at North Dakota State. Howard sent film, and quarterbacks coach Collin Klein got in touch.
It was a good match, but also an example of how much Howard refused to settle.
As a transfer, Howard didn’t have to search for schools this time around. In a full-circle moment, his comments in high school were right. Schools found him, knowing he was good enough to win.
As he continues to acclimate himself to his teammates and new city, his focus will turn to working with new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly after a whirlwind first month in Columbus. Howard committed to Ohio State
on Jan. 4. Day named Bill O’Brien offensive coordinator
on Jan. 19. O’Brien’s stay didn’t last long, as he landed the head coaching job
at Boston College last week. In his place,
Ohio State brought in Kelly, who left the head coaching job at
UCLA to call plays for Day, his former pupil at New Hampshire.
Kelly is known for his offensive mind. And that’s what Milano, who knew Kelly when he was recruiting Pennsylvania as the head coach at New Hampshire, told Howard when they talked after Kelly was hired.
“I told Will, (Kelly) is one of the brightest and nicest guys I spoke with,” Milano said.
Howard, by all accounts, is a multi-faceted fit for the Buckeyes. No, he might not be the flashy transfer that Justin Fields was, but he’s proven his ability to lead a team with his fiery competitive spirit, high IQ and versatility on the field.
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