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O. J. Howard

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Oterrius Jabari "O. J." Howard (born November 18, 1994) is an American professional football tight end. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.

O. J. Howard
refer to caption
Howard with the Houston Texans in 2022
Personal information
Born: (1994-11-18) November 18, 1994 (age 30)
Prattville, Alabama, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:251 lb (114 kg)
Career information
High school:Autauga Academy
(Prattville, Alabama)
College:Alabama (2013–2016)
Position:Tight end
NFL draft:2017 / round: 1 / pick: 19
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:129
Receiving yards:1,882
Receiving touchdowns:17
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Howard attended Autauga Academy in Prattville, Alabama.[1][2]

Howard was rated by Rivals.com and Scout.com as a five-star recruit and was ranked by both as the best tight end in his class.[3] He committed to the University of Alabama to play college football.[4]

College career

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As a true freshman at Alabama in 2013, Howard played in 13 games with five starts. He made his collegiate debut with three receptions for 68 yards in a victory over Texas A&M.[5] On October 19, against Arkansas, he scored his first collegiate touchdown.[6] In his next game, a victory over LSU, he had a 52-yard receiving touchdown.[7] He finished the year with 14 receptions for 269 yards and two touchdowns.[8][9] As a sophomore in 2014, he had 17 receptions for 260 yards.[10] His best performance of the season was when he had three receptions for 81 yards in a loss to Ole Miss.[11] As a junior in 2015, Howard had 38 receptions for 602 yards and 2 touchdowns.[12] He was the Offensive MVP of Alabama's victory over Clemson in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship after recording five receptions for 208 yards and two touchdowns.[13][14] As a senior in 2016, he had 45 receptions for 595 yards and three touchdowns.[15] His best performance of the season came in the National Championship rematch against Clemson. In the 35–31 loss, he had four receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown.[16]

Howard was considered by some to be underutilized in the Crimson Tide offense despite back to back seasons recording the most receptions ever for a tight end under Saban at Alabama.[17][18] When asked about Howard's role in the offense after the 2016 season, Saban said, "O.J., quite honestly, should have been more involved all year long."[17]

Howard played for the South team in the 2017 Senior Bowl.[19][20] He has stated that he tries to model his play off of Jason Witten, Jimmy Graham, and Jordan Reed.[21]

College statistics

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Season Team GP Rec Yds Avg TD
2013 Alabama 10 14 269 19.2 2
2014 Alabama 9 17 260 15.3 0
2015 Alabama 12 38 602 15.8 2
2016 Alabama 15 45 595 13.2 3
Total 46 114 1,726 15.1 7

Professional career

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Pre-draft

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Coming out of college, Howard was projected as a first round pick by the majority of NFL experts and scouts. He received an invitation to the Senior Bowl and chose to participate although he was already a first round prospect. He was able to raise his stock by having a significant week of practice for the Senior Bowl and was voted by a panel of scouts as Senior Bowl's top practice player of the week.[22] Howard finished the game with four catches for 39 receiving yards, helping the South defeat the North 16–15.[23] He attended the NFL Combine and completed all the required combine and positional drills. At Alabama's Pro Day, he chose to only run positional drills for the representatives and scouts. Howard was ranked the top tight end in the draft by Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Pro Football Focus, NFLDraftScout.com, NFL analyst Mike Mayock, and NFL analyst Bucky Brooks.[24][25][26]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press Wonderlic
6 ft 5+3⁄4 in
(1.97 m) 		251 lb
(114 kg) 		33+3⁄4 in
(0.86 m) 		10 in
(0.25 m)		 4.51 s 1.55 s 2.61 s 4.16 s 6.85 s 30 in
(0.76 m)		 10 ft 1 in
(3.07 m)		 22 reps 27
All values from NFL Combine[27][28]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Howard with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018

2017 season

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Howard in the first round (19th overall) of the 2017 NFL draft.[29] He was only the second Alabama tight end selected in the first round in the common draft era, after Ozzie Newsome in 1978.[30] On May 22, 2017, Howard signed with the Buccaneers, a four-year deal worth $11 million featuring a $6.2 million signing bonus.[31]

Howard entered the regular season as one of the starting tight ends along with veteran Cameron Brate.[32]

Due to Hurricane Irma, the Buccaneers had to move their Week 1 game to later in the season. On September 17, 2017, in Week 2, Howard made his professional regular season debut and caught one reception for 17-yards in the Buccaneers 29–7 victory over the Chicago Bears.[33] In Week 4, against the New York Giants, he recorded a 58-yard reception for the first touchdown of his career.[34] In Week 7, against the Buffalo Bills, he had a breakout game with six receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns.[35] He was placed on injured reserve on December 20, 2017.[36] He started the first 14 games his rookie season, finishing with 26 receptions for 432 yards and six touchdowns.[37]

2018 season

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In Week 2, against the Philadelphia Eagles, Howard recorded a 75-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick as part of a 96-yard performance in the victory.[38] In Week 9, against the Carolina Panthers, he recorded two receiving touchdowns in the loss.[39] On November 20, 2018, he was placed on injured reserve after suffering foot and ankle injuries in Week 11.[40] He finished the season with 34 receptions for 565 yards and five touchdowns in ten games and eight starts.[41]

2019 season

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Howard played in 14 games and recorded 34 receptions for 459 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in the 2019 season.[42]

2020 season

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On April 29, 2020, the Buccaneers exercised the fifth-year option on Howard's contract,[43] worth $6.013 million guaranteed for the 2021 season.[44] Howard recorded three catches for 50 yards and a touchdown during the 38–31 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4.[45] He suffered a torn Achilles in the game, and was placed on injured reserve on October 6, 2020.[46] He would go on to win his first Super Bowl ring with the team despite him not playing in the game due to injury as Tampa Bay beat the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 31–9 in Super Bowl LV.[47]

2021 season

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Howard played in 17 games and recorded 14 receptions for 135 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in the 2021 season.[48]

Buffalo Bills

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On March 16, 2022, Howard signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills.[49] He was released on August 30, 2022, as part of final roster cuts.[50]

Houston Texans

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On September 2, 2022, Howard signed with the Houston Texans.[51] In the Texans' 2022 regular season opener, Howard had two receiving touchdowns in the 20–20 tie to the Indianapolis Colts.[52]

Las Vegas Raiders

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On March 20, 2023, Howard signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.[53] He was released on August 1, 2023.[54]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Won the Super Bowl
Bold Career high
Year Team Games Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2017 TB 14 14 26 432 16.6 58T 6 3 2
2018 TB 10 8 34 565 16.6 75T 5 0 0
2019 TB 14 14 34 459 13.5 33 1 1 1
2020 TB 4 1 11 146 13.3 33 2 0 0
2021 TB 17 9 14 135 9.6 21 1 0 0
2022 HOU 13 10 10 145 14.5 26 2 0 0
Career 72 56 129 1,882 14.6 75T 17 4 3

References

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  1. ^ Ostendorf, Greg (October 5, 2012). "UA Game tour: Alabama commit O.J. Howard". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  2. ^ Newberg, Jamie (November 8, 2011). "Watch List ATH Howard too good to be true". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  3. ^ "O.J. Howard, 2013 Tight End". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  4. ^ Gould, Izzy (July 18, 2011). "Reports: O.J. Howard commits to Alabama". AL.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  5. ^ "Alabama at Texas A&M Box Score, September 14, 2013". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  6. ^ "Arkansas at Alabama Box Score, October 19, 2013". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  7. ^ "LSU at Alabama Box Score, November 9, 2013". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  8. ^ Rogers, Ken (August 12, 2014). "Tide expects to utilize tight end O.J. Howard more often". Dothan Eagle. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  9. ^ "O.J. Howard 2013 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  10. ^ "O.J. Howard 2014 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  11. ^ "Alabama at Ole Miss Box Score, October 4, 2014". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  12. ^ "O.J. Howard 2015 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  13. ^ Zenitz, Matt (January 12, 2016). "O.J. Howard, Eddie Jackson named national championship game MVPs". AL.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  14. ^ Braziller, Zach (January 12, 2016). "No-name tight end becomes name Alabama fans will never forget". New York Post. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  15. ^ "O.J. Howard 2016 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  16. ^ "College Football Championship – Clemson vs Alabama Box Score, January 9, 2017". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  17. ^ a b Stiles, Adam (January 27, 2017). "O.J. Howard is shining at the Senior Bowl and has no idea why Alabama hardly used him". SB Nation. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  18. ^ Schad, Joe (February 4, 2017). "2017 NFL Draft: Why Miami Dolphins must consider TE O.J. Howard". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  19. ^ Emma, Chris (January 26, 2017). "Emma: Alabama TE O.J. Howard Has Star Potential In NFL". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  20. ^ Arkush, Arthur; Fishbain, Kevin (January 24, 2017). "Senior Bowl South Notebook: Alabama TE O.J. Howard as advertised in first practice". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  21. ^ Triplett, Mike (January 27, 2017). "Alabama TE O.J. Howard 'most complete player' at Senior Bowl". ESPN. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  22. ^ Goodbread, Chase (January 28, 2017). "Scouts vote O.J. Howard Senior Bowl's top practice player". NFL.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  23. ^ Goodbread, Chase (January 28, 2017). "What we learned from Senior Bowl: Zay Jones boosts draft stock". NFL.com. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  24. ^ Burke, Chris (April 28, 2017). "2017 NFL draft rankings: Top prospects by position". SI.com. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  25. ^ Legwold, Jeff (April 22, 2017). "Ranking 2017 Draft's Top 100 Prospects". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  26. ^ Palazzolo, Steve (January 10, 2017). "Top 32 Prospects for the 2017 NFL Draft". profootballfocus.com. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  27. ^ "NFL Events: Combine Player Profiles – O.J. Howard". NFL.com.
  28. ^ "O.J. Howard, DS #1 TE, Alabama". www.draftscout.com. 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  29. ^ "Buccaneers select O.J. Howard with 19th pick of the NFL Draft". WSFA.com. April 27, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  30. ^ "Alabama Drafted Players/Alumni". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  31. ^ "Transactions: O.J. Howard signs rookie deal with Bucs". NFL.com. SEC Country. May 22, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  32. ^ "2017 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Starters, Roster, & Players". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  33. ^ "Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – September 17th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  34. ^ "New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – October 1st, 2017". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  35. ^ "Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Buffalo Bills – October 22nd, 2017". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  36. ^ Smith, Scott (December 20, 2017). "Standout Rookies Among Five Bucs Headed to IR". Buccaneers.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2017.
  37. ^ "O.J. Howard 2017 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  38. ^ Inabinett, Mark (September 16, 2018). "Check out O.J. Howard's 75-yard touchdown catch". AL.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  39. ^ Dajani, Jordan (November 4, 2018). "O.J. Howard records his second TD of the day against Carolina". 247 Sports. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  40. ^ Smith, Scott (November 20, 2018). "Bucs Lose O.J. Howard to IR, Sign DB Josh Shaw". Buccaneers.com. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  41. ^ "O.J. Howard 2018 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  42. ^ "O.J. Howard 2019 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  43. ^ Smith, Scott (April 29, 2020). "Bucs Exercise Fifth-Year Option on O.J. Howard". Buccaneers.com. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  44. ^ "O.J. Howard". Spotrac.com. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  45. ^ Edwards, Josh (October 4, 2020). "Buccaneers vs. Chargers final score: Tom Brady rallies Tampa to win over rookie Justin Herbert". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  46. ^ Smith, Scott (October 6, 2020). "Cyril Grayson Promoted as O.J. Howard Lands on I.R." Buccaneers.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  47. ^ Patra, Kevin (February 7, 2021). "What we learned from Buccaneers win over Chiefs in Super Bowl LV". NFL.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  48. ^ "O.J. Howard 2021 Game Log". Football Reference. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  49. ^ Lasting, Dante (March 16, 2022). "Bills agree to terms with tight end O.J. Howard". BuffaloBills.com. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  50. ^ White, Alec (August 30, 2022). "Roster moves: Bills set initial 53-man roster". BuffaloBills.com. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  51. ^ "Houston Texans Transactions (9-2-2022)". HoustonTexans.com. Houston Texans Public Relations. September 2, 2022.
  52. ^ "Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans - September 11th, 2022". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  53. ^ Raiders Public Relations (March 20, 2023). "Raiders sign TE O.J. Howard". Raiders.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  54. ^ Bouda, Nate (August 1, 2023). "Raiders Release TE O.J. Howard, Re-Sign QB Chase Garbers". NFLTradeRumors.co. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
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