May 23, 2025 • 6 mins
Missi Matthews sits down with Will Howard and talks NFL's Hey Rookie, his excitement to be a Steeler, and much more
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
With the one hundred and eighty fifth pick, the Pittsburgh
Staters select Will Howard quarterback Ohio Stakes.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Well, you had the Hay Rookie crew following you around.
Have you gone back and watched any of that just
to kind of relive the draft experience.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
I really haven't, to be honest with you, but I
kind of watched it as it was going through. It
was kind of weird, like sometimes I'd be in like
bars or you know, like restaurants, and I'd see it
on the TV and that was kind of weird. I
did watch it back a couple of times, and they
always send it to me before they send it out,
and it was really cool. It was kind of cool
to just get to watch myself go through the draft
process because you don't really get a lot of time
(00:43):
to sit back and kind of appreciate what you're doing
and you know, look back at what you've been doing
and all the work that I put in, you know,
and it was kind of it was cool, you know,
and it was a it was a long process, but
I'm glad to be here and finally just you know,
play ball again.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Besides the Hay Rookie crew being there when you got
the call from What do you remember most about that moment,
the people you were with, and maybe the feelings that
came out of you.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
I remember sitting there, you know, sitting on my couch
pretty much, you know, the first three days, and you know,
nothing day one obviously, nothing day two, and then day
three starts and you know, I'm sitting on my couch
and had all the hats sitting there lined up ready,
all the camera crew ready for me to be sitting
in that seat, and a couple of times I just
got a little impatient or you know, wanted to get
(01:27):
up and get a snack. So I ended up, you know,
right during the sixth round, I stood up and I
went to the kitchen just because I was tired of
sitting in the same spot all day. And that was
where I got the call. I was just a relief,
you know, seeing that number come up before one two
number with Pittsburgh Steelers over top. I had gotten prank
called a couple of times, so it was nice to,
you know, actually have a real one.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Get it awesome getting a couple of couple of national
champions man, because you guys know what's required. Man. Congratulations
man to you you deserve it, man to get family.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
It was just a relief, like a like a weight
off my shoulders and just you know, all of the
work kind of come into a fruition and just just
an amazing moment and super blessed.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Why did you want it to be Pittsford.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yeah, I just felt like throughout the whole process, you know,
I had dinner with you know, coach Tomlin and Coach
Smith and Omar pro Day, I had a formal with
him at the combine, and every time I interacted with them,
it just felt like they were genuine people. You know,
everything I've heard about this about this organization is that
it's you know really, I mean, it's a historic organization
and everyone that has come through here has nothing but
(02:29):
good things to say about the people. Obviously, it's my
home state, close to home or close to Columbus. There's
a lot of things to like about it. And you know,
the team, you know, is a great tradition of winning,
and you know, Coach T's done a phenomenal job of
pumping out you know, playoff teams year in and year out.
So I'm just excited to be a part of this organization.
It's storied, there's a lot of history, and you know,
(02:51):
it's it's a blessing to be a part of it.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
What was that pro day dinner?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Like when you're preparing for though, those interviews and meetings
and dinners, you know you're ready for real, a real
formal setting. You know you're ready to sit down and
you know, you know, chop, chop this this this this question,
question answer answer. But it was super laid back and coached.
T was like, listen, man, Like before we even got started,
he just said, I just want us to just kick
and get to know each other and you know, have
(03:16):
a good time, just break a little bread, food and fellowship,
and that's what he's about. And I really appreciated that.
I thought that that was different than most of the
meetings I had been a part of, and stuck out
to me and you know, I sat there, I sat
next to Arthur, and we got to talk a lot,
just you know, about ourselves and you know how I
like to get coached and you know what what I
think is, you know, good about my game and all
(03:37):
those different things. We just got to kind of chop
it up and it was it was great. It was
super laid back. It was relaxed, but it just felt
felt right, It felt normal, felt comfortable. There was probably
twelve of US Ohio State guys and we had a ball.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
What is it like to have Captain Jack here? And
how did you guys get the invite to Ben Roethlisberger's.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah, so that was amazing. Obviously, you know, seeing Jack
get drafted to the to the Steelers, I was like,
that just adds up. It just makes sense, you know,
just a gritty guy, you know, blue collar just going
to the Steelers just just felt like it made sense,
you know. And then I'm sitting there waiting and you know,
I had said throughout the whole process to all my boys,
you know, from Ohio State, I was like, I don't
care who it is. It doesn't have to be any
(04:14):
certain person, but I just hope that I land with
one guy from Ohio State, with like one teammate. And
you know, obviously, you know, as fate would have it,
you know, I mean, here we are, me and Jack,
and you know, it just worked out super well. He
was one of the first calls I made after I
jumped in my pool. I FaceTime Jack, and I know
they like I screenshoted something and they posted that everywhere
and it's super cool, just super cool to be back
(04:36):
with him. We developed a real special bomb last year
at Ohio State. I wish I got more time with him,
but you know, here we are, we get we get
some more time. You do.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
In terms of after you got drafted, your mom did
an interview and said that you were bugging the coaches
to get the playbook and they were like, just enjoy
the weekend, like we'll see you when you come in.
What does that say about you?
Speaker 1 (04:57):
I mean, yeah, you know my mom. My mom loves
to talk about my work ethic and all that. And
you know, I did send a text to Coach Arth
like today after I got drafted, just because I was
sitting there, you know, a week and a half till
Rookie Mini Camp. I didn't really have anything to do,
so I was like, I might as well get a
jump on this playbook and get into it. And you know,
I think that's what I like to hang my hat on,
(05:17):
is working hard. And you know, I may not be
the most talented guy in the world all the time,
but I'm gonna outwork everybody. And that's kind of, you know,
what I like to be about. And bringing the heart,
bringing the fire, and and just outworking people.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
What was his pitch like when he tried to recruit
you to Akron?
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Oh Man, it was a long time ago. I barely remember,
but I remember him, you know, telling me he believed
I was an NFL quarterback. And you know, there weren't
a lot of teams that would say things like that,
you know, and obviously, you know I was. I had
aspirations of playing in the Power five, and that's probably
why I, you know, passed up on Achron. But you know,
I really respected coach Arth and you know, really loved
(05:55):
what he did.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Lastly for you, tell me the characteristics that make you
a good quarterback?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
You know, I think first and foremost is my leadership.
You know, I think you know, I'm a relationships based guy,
and that's what I'm working on right now. You know,
I know I'm a rookie. I want to stay in
my lane and make sure that I'm smart about that,
but I also want to get to know everyone in
the locker room and build those relationships, you know, because
they're not gonna you know, they're not gonna care how
much I know unless they know how much I care.
(06:21):
You know, and that's that's something I think is really
important to me, is just getting to build those relationships.
And I'm trying to take that time to do that
right now. And I know it's a process. You know,
I'm being a rookie. I understand how this lead works,
you know. I think that's that's number one. And then
my ability to process, you know, and understand the game.
I think that sets me apart as a quarterback. But
(06:42):
you know, and then I think third, I would just
say my work ethic, you know, and I'm never taking
note for an answer, always, you know, wanting to outwork everyone.
And that's kind of what I like to hang my
hat on.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Perfect.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Thanks Will, Thanks MISSI.
With the one hundred and eighty fifth pick, the Pittsburgh
Staters select Will Howard quarterback Ohio Stakes.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Well, you had the Hay Rookie crew following you around.
Have you gone back and watched any of that just
to kind of relive the draft experience.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
I really haven't, to be honest with you, but I
kind of watched it as it was going through. It
was kind of weird, like sometimes I'd be in like
bars or you know, like restaurants, and I'd see it
on the TV and that was kind of weird. I
did watch it back a couple of times, and they
always send it to me before they send it out,
and it was really cool. It was kind of cool
to just get to watch myself go through the draft
process because you don't really get a lot of time
(00:43):
to sit back and kind of appreciate what you're doing
and you know, look back at what you've been doing
and all the work that I put in, you know,
and it was kind of it was cool, you know,
and it was a it was a long process, but
I'm glad to be here and finally just you know,
play ball again.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Besides the Hay Rookie crew being there when you got
the call from What do you remember most about that moment,
the people you were with, and maybe the feelings that
came out of you.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
I remember sitting there, you know, sitting on my couch
pretty much, you know, the first three days, and you know,
nothing day one obviously, nothing day two, and then day
three starts and you know, I'm sitting on my couch
and had all the hats sitting there lined up ready,
all the camera crew ready for me to be sitting
in that seat, and a couple of times I just
got a little impatient or you know, wanted to get
(01:27):
up and get a snack. So I ended up, you know,
right during the sixth round, I stood up and I
went to the kitchen just because I was tired of
sitting in the same spot all day. And that was
where I got the call. I was just a relief,
you know, seeing that number come up before one two
number with Pittsburgh Steelers over top. I had gotten prank
called a couple of times, so it was nice to,
you know, actually have a real one.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Get it awesome getting a couple of couple of national
champions man, because you guys know what's required. Man. Congratulations
man to you you deserve it, man to get family.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
It was just a relief, like a like a weight
off my shoulders and just you know, all of the
work kind of come into a fruition and just just
an amazing moment and super blessed.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Why did you want it to be Pittsford.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yeah, I just felt like throughout the whole process, you know,
I had dinner with you know, coach Tomlin and Coach
Smith and Omar pro Day, I had a formal with
him at the combine, and every time I interacted with them,
it just felt like they were genuine people. You know,
everything I've heard about this about this organization is that
it's you know really, I mean, it's a historic organization
and everyone that has come through here has nothing but
(02:29):
good things to say about the people. Obviously, it's my
home state, close to home or close to Columbus. There's
a lot of things to like about it. And you know,
the team, you know, is a great tradition of winning,
and you know, Coach T's done a phenomenal job of
pumping out you know, playoff teams year in and year out.
So I'm just excited to be a part of this organization.
It's storied, there's a lot of history, and you know,
(02:51):
it's it's a blessing to be a part of it.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
What was that pro day dinner?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Like when you're preparing for though, those interviews and meetings
and dinners, you know you're ready for real, a real
formal setting. You know you're ready to sit down and
you know, you know, chop, chop this this this this question,
question answer answer. But it was super laid back and coached.
T was like, listen, man, Like before we even got started,
he just said, I just want us to just kick
and get to know each other and you know, have
(03:16):
a good time, just break a little bread, food and fellowship,
and that's what he's about. And I really appreciated that.
I thought that that was different than most of the
meetings I had been a part of, and stuck out
to me and you know, I sat there, I sat
next to Arthur, and we got to talk a lot,
just you know, about ourselves and you know how I
like to get coached and you know what what I
think is, you know, good about my game and all
(03:37):
those different things. We just got to kind of chop
it up and it was it was great. It was
super laid back. It was relaxed, but it just felt
felt right, It felt normal, felt comfortable. There was probably
twelve of US Ohio State guys and we had a ball.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
What is it like to have Captain Jack here? And
how did you guys get the invite to Ben Roethlisberger's.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah, so that was amazing. Obviously, you know, seeing Jack
get drafted to the to the Steelers, I was like,
that just adds up. It just makes sense, you know,
just a gritty guy, you know, blue collar just going
to the Steelers just just felt like it made sense,
you know. And then I'm sitting there waiting and you know,
I had said throughout the whole process to all my boys,
you know, from Ohio State, I was like, I don't
care who it is. It doesn't have to be any
(04:14):
certain person, but I just hope that I land with
one guy from Ohio State, with like one teammate. And
you know, obviously, you know, as fate would have it,
you know, I mean, here we are, me and Jack,
and you know, it just worked out super well. He
was one of the first calls I made after I
jumped in my pool. I FaceTime Jack, and I know
they like I screenshoted something and they posted that everywhere
and it's super cool, just super cool to be back
(04:36):
with him. We developed a real special bomb last year
at Ohio State. I wish I got more time with him,
but you know, here we are, we get we get
some more time. You do.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
In terms of after you got drafted, your mom did
an interview and said that you were bugging the coaches
to get the playbook and they were like, just enjoy
the weekend, like we'll see you when you come in.
What does that say about you?
Speaker 1 (04:57):
I mean, yeah, you know my mom. My mom loves
to talk about my work ethic and all that. And
you know, I did send a text to Coach Arth
like today after I got drafted, just because I was
sitting there, you know, a week and a half till
Rookie Mini Camp. I didn't really have anything to do,
so I was like, I might as well get a
jump on this playbook and get into it. And you know,
I think that's what I like to hang my hat on,
(05:17):
is working hard. And you know, I may not be
the most talented guy in the world all the time,
but I'm gonna outwork everybody. And that's kind of, you know,
what I like to be about. And bringing the heart,
bringing the fire, and and just outworking people.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
What was his pitch like when he tried to recruit
you to Akron?
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Oh Man, it was a long time ago. I barely remember,
but I remember him, you know, telling me he believed
I was an NFL quarterback. And you know, there weren't
a lot of teams that would say things like that,
you know, and obviously, you know I was. I had
aspirations of playing in the Power five, and that's probably
why I, you know, passed up on Achron. But you know,
I really respected coach Arth and you know, really loved
(05:55):
what he did.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Lastly for you, tell me the characteristics that make you
a good quarterback?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
You know, I think first and foremost is my leadership.
You know, I think you know, I'm a relationships based guy,
and that's what I'm working on right now. You know,
I know I'm a rookie. I want to stay in
my lane and make sure that I'm smart about that,
but I also want to get to know everyone in
the locker room and build those relationships, you know, because
they're not gonna you know, they're not gonna care how
much I know unless they know how much I care.
(06:21):
You know, and that's that's something I think is really
important to me, is just getting to build those relationships.
And I'm trying to take that time to do that
right now. And I know it's a process. You know,
I'm being a rookie. I understand how this lead works,
you know. I think that's that's number one. And then
my ability to process, you know, and understand the game.
I think that sets me apart as a quarterback. But
(06:42):
you know, and then I think third, I would just
say my work ethic, you know, and I'm never taking
note for an answer, always, you know, wanting to outwork everyone.
And that's kind of what I like to hang my
hat on.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Perfect.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Thanks Will, Thanks MISSI.
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