Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers rookie minicamp will take place on May 9-11, but sixth-round pick Will Howard has already impressed the team’s coaching staff.
Howard, who is known for his acute work ethic and film study, wanted to get to work shortly after getting selected by the Steelers. Speaking to Devin Jackson of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Howard’s mother, Maureen, said the Steelers coaches gave him the weekend off despite wanting to get a head start on study the playbook.
“On Sunday, Howard reached out to Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth for plays, according to his mother, much to the delight of the Steelers coaching staff,” Jackson wrote. ”[Arth] wrote [Howard] back and said, ‘Hey, we were going to give you the weekend off, but this is why we drafted you, because it’s the kind of worker you are.”
Howard’s high football IQ was put on display during his appearance on Jon Gruden’s QB Class. His work ethic, football intellect and leadership qualities were all features that were attractive to the Steelers.
“I think like a lot of people, how he responded to that adversity at the end of their regular season and the leadership and play making that he displayed throughout the playoffs was really attractive,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. “It’s really what NFL football is about. There’s going to be some adversity. How you respond to it defines you and your football team, particularly from the quarterback position.”
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger thinks the Steelers’ selection of Ohio State quarterback Will Howard could be the steal of the draft. With landing Howard in the sixth round, it’s really a no-lose situation for Pittsburgh.
“You draft him in the sixth round, it’s like, okay, whatever. If he works out, great. If he doesn’t, he’s a sixth-rounder,” Roethlisberger said on his Footbalin podcast. “There’s been some pretty good ones that have come in the late rounds — Tom Brady. And no, I’m not trying to say Will Howard is Tom Brady, but I like this pick.”
Roethlisberger even said he would like to get the young signal-caller on his podcast.
“I like what he’s going to bring. I can’t wait to see him in person. I’d love to get him on this show,” Roethlisberger said.
Roethlisberger also offered some advice to Howard on the latest episode of his Footbahlin podcast.
“He needs to understand, and I would tell him this: you don’t have pressure, bud. You’re a sixth rounder. There’s no pressure,” Roethlisberger said. “He should go into this thing with like, [the attitude of], I can play free. I have no pressure.”
Howard, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 235 pounds, cemented himself as a Buckeyes legend during just one season in Columbus. He started all 16 games for Ohio State, setting single-season and career completion percentage records by hitting the mark on 71.4% of his attempts.
“He should come in here with the mindset of this is my job,” Roethlisberger said. “ I want to be the quarterback...
