The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 27, 1990 - Page 11
Howard provides a touch
of 'Magic' to Blue offense
A
by Ryan Schreiber
Daily Football Writer
Michigan head coach Gary
Moeller admitted this season marks a
change in the Wolverine attack. He
intends to throw more, utilizing the
arm of quarterback Elvis Grbac and
the speed of his wide receivers, in
order to open up his offense.
But Desmond Howard knows
"It makes me feel good to hear,
but like I told everybody during the
summer, I'll see it, then I'll believe
it," he said. "I don't believe in
counting my chickens before the
eggs hatch."
However, Howard has seen it and
should start believing it. He has
hauled in ten receptions for 179
ards, including two touchdowns, in
Michigan's first two games.
At St. Joseph High in Cleveland,
Howard overshadowed classmate Gr-
bac as a premier tailback and defen-
sive back, but his darting speed
prompted the coaches to move the
swift-footed ball carrier to receiver.
Running the 40-yard dash in 4.4
seconds makes him the fastest player
n the Michigan team. And he loves
be around the football.
"He showed some good quick-
ness, good speed," Moeller said.
"He's the kind of guy that likes the
football. You can tell that as soon as
he catches it, he goes right back to
that old running back.
"In high school, week in and
week out he'd carry the ball 25 times
game at least. That's why Elvis
ever threw it, he was always carry-
ing the ball."
But the switch from handoff to
reception was not quite so simple,
despite his athletic prowess.
"(The switch) didn't come easy,"
Howard said. "It had its difficulties
like getting used to turning around
and having the defensive back already
in your face. I'm used to seeing the
defender already in front of me so I
know what type of move I'm going
to put on him.
"Now, I have to turn my back to
the defender, catch the ball, and then
turn back around. By that time, he's
maybe two yards away from me."
While last season Howard snared
only nine passes for 136 yards, he
gathered six for 133 yards in this
season's opener against Notre Dame,
and has since passed last season's to-
tals. Howard remains second only to
tailback Jon Vaughn in all-purpose
yardage, and ninth in the nation with
161.5 yards per game. But Moeller
is determined to not let Howard rest
on his laurels.
"I believe what Woody Hayes al-
ways taught me in that anytime you
start saying nice things about peo-
ple, they get soft," Moeller said.
"And he had an excellent game (in
South Bend). But do you know why
he had an excellent game? He worked
'I would give those
two touchdowns up to
win the Notre Dame
game, quick. I see us
maturing and coming
together more as a
unit and I want to win
the Big Ten outright
for the third straight
season'
- Desmond Howard
the Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Week a-
ward," Howard said. "It was a sur-
prise to me. I didn't even know that
I had won it."
His success, on the other hand,
comes as no surprise to those who
know him, and there could be no
greater satisfaction for him than to
see the team share in his accom-
plishments.
"I would give those two touch-
downs up to win the Notre Dame
game, quick," he said. "I see us
maturing and coming together more
as a unit and I want to win the Big
Ten outright for the third straight
season."
In finding Howard, the Wolver-
ines came across someone with
tremendous athletic ability. "I think
basically Michigan came after me as
an athlete who could probably come
in and fill spots at any of the three
positions," Howard said.
His athletic prowess also extends
to the basketball court, where his
nickname "Magic" originated. Team-
ing up with fellow football players
Tripp Welborne, Lance Dottin, Vada
Murray, and wide receiver Derrick
Alexander, Howard spurred the team
to Michigan's intramural basketball
championship last year.
The mix of talent, speed, intelli-
gence, and work ethic characterizes a
model recipe for success, but
Howard's story would remain an in-
complete pass without his hilarious
nature.
"I'm a pretty jovial type of guy,"
Howard laughed. "I like to keep the
atmosphere in a happy mood. I think
the coaches may worry about that
sometimes when there's a game and
I'm not as intense as a lot of the
other people. Because I'm a jovial
person, I can sit and tell jokes until
we go on the field."
So Desmond Howard keeps his
coaches on their toes. It's only fit-
ting, since, with a touch of Magic,
he does it to each and every defense
Michigan faces.
his rear end off this summer in
spring ball, summer ball, two-a-day
practices. He worked hard and he did
what he was told to do."
Hard work is not new to Howard,
on or off the playing field. As a
communication major, the academic
junior with sophomore eligibility
has put as much effort towards his
studies as he has on the practice turf.
His 3.0 grade point average last year
earned him IBM Scholar-Athlete-of-
the-Week honors, an award that is no
simple task to achieve.
"The thing that's made me the
happiest since I've been up here is
JMJUM1WUWUT
Michigan's Desmond Howard celebrates his third quarter touchdown against Notre Dame with teammate
Burnie Legette. It was Howard's second touchdown of the game.
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