Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard has heard it in casual conversation. He\u2019s heard it from fans on the hill at Saint Vincent College. He has even come across it on social media.<\/p>\n
The pronunciation of his last name in Pittsburghese.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s pretty funny. The first time I heard that, I think it was \u2018Pittsburgh Dad\u2019 <\/a>on Instagram<\/a>,\u201d Howard said. \u201cH-a-h-e-r-d. Haherd.\u201d<\/p>\n He has heard it a lot. Most sixth-round rookies don\u2019t get their names mentioned very much at all. However, when you are a quarterback coming off a national championship season, it\u2019s a little different.<\/p>\n After all, a QB from a Big Ten school drafted in the sixth round? That pretty much automatically means he has to be the next Tom Brady, n\u2019at? Doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a great reception. I couldn\u2019t ask for much more,\u201d Howard said of his arrival in Pittsburgh. \u201cBut I haven\u2019t really proved anything yet. I\u2019ve still got a lot to show on the field. And I\u2019m excited to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Howard also understands how the proximity of his hometown (Downingtown, Pa.) and his alma mater (Ohio State) plays into how much attention he seems to be getting at training camp.<\/p>\n \u201cThe red sticks out like a sore thumb. That\u2019s for sure,\u201d Howard said of Buckeye fans who have appeared in the daily sea of black and gold at Saint Vincent.<\/p>\n That\u2019s happened frequently, as OSU fans have often been seen at Saint Vincent during this training camp to support Howard and fellow rookie Jack Sawyer. But Howard understands that just because he\u2019s got a recognizable \u2014 and now very phonically distinctive \u2014 last name, that doesn\u2019t mean that he has been guaranteed anything.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just trying to get better every day, no matter how many reps I get,\u201d Howard said. \u201cI can\u2019t control that. I just go out there and try to do what I can with what I\u2019ve got and make the best of it.<\/p>\n More sports<\/p>\n \u2022 Steelers kicker Chris Boswell approaches season with no regard to his All-Pro 2024<\/a> In terms of how Howard has played so far in Latrobe, his enthusiasm is palpable. He looks like he belongs, and the stage isn\u2019t too big. As would be the case with any rookie QB, he\u2019s had some good throws and some bad ones.<\/p>\n But his intangibles stood out to the Steelers when Howard was still on the board during the third day of the NFL Draft.<\/p>\n \u201cI just look at his resume. The way he\u2019s wired,\u201d offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said after Howard was picked. \u201cStepping into that role at Ohio State and winning a national championship. \u2026 He takes some of the guesswork (away) about his mental toughness.\u201d<\/p>\n Howard\u2019s attitude and attentiveness have impressed starting QB Aaron Rodgers.<\/p>\n \u201cI just like his approach. He\u2019s a good kid. He cares about it. He works hard. He listens. He\u2019s a good note-taker. He\u2019s been picking my brain,\u201d Rodgers said of Howard early in camp. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to growing that friendship. He has all the ability and the talent. When his time comes, I think he\u2019s going to have a great chance to be a long-term guy in the league.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of the presumptive hype from Steelers fans about Howard has been excessive. That\u2019s how it goes with quarterbacks in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n That said, getting that kind of an endorsement from a future Hall of Famer like Rodgers is significant.<\/p>\n I mean, not Pittsburgh Dad-level significant. But not bad.<\/p>\n Listen: Tim Benz recaps Thursday\u2019s Steelers practice and talks with Arthur Smith and Will \u201cHaherd\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com<\/a> or via X<\/a>. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.<\/p>\n
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