Looking For a Legacy For Himself
John Howell made a name as a Ram, now it's his son Jack's turn
Mike Brohard
A time-and-place moment.
When the call came to his cell phone, John Howell knows exactly what he was doing. He was pacing inside the Pepsi Center, waiting for his son Jack’s quarterfinal match at the 2018 state wrestling tournament. It was from Mike Bobo, then the head football coach at Colorado State, where John had starred as a safety, earning All-Mountain West honors in 2000.
“I got extremely excited,” John said. “Coach Bobo called, extended the offer and said they’d be contacting Jack. If I could have done a back flip, I would have done one.
“Not only was it the first Division I school to reach out that really believed in him, but it was my alma mater, a place where really all of my dreams began years ago.”
Being a father, he knew those were his memories. And while he was pretty sure his son would love Colorado State, he didn’t apply any pressure. He asked questions, when asked. But really, Jack didn’t have many topics to cover.
He’d pretty much lived it already. He spent part of his youth in Fort Collins, and he attended more than his share of CSU football camps. He knew the coaches. He’s been on campus and knew the facilities.
It’s too much to ask how many times he sat in the stands and watched a game with his father, drilling him for stories of his playing days. It will be a new field now that Canvas Stadium is built, but that initial offer stirred up memories of going home.
“Definitely. It was just a big dream,” said Jack, who signed with Colorado State on Wednesday. “Every time we’d go to a game, I could always see myself playing, and asking my dad a bunch of questions, really trying to put myself in that situation. Now that it’s all coming true, it’s a pretty cool thing.”
Times change. The football program doesn’t look the same as it did when John played, and there was some moments of anxiety when the coaching staff’s changed.
Still, Jack wanted to go to Colorado State. It wasn’t that he held on to hope, but more like a feeling of fate. And when Steve Addazio said he still wanted him to be a Ram, the final decision wasn’t far behind.
“I was definitely a little nervous, but I always kinda had a feeling they would re-offer,” said Jack, who after playing at Valor Christian in Colorado for three years, played his final season in Chandler, Ariz. “I love CSU, and I just always had a feeling I might end up there.
“As soon as recruiting started, I had a lot of bigger schools talk to me, but it didn’t feel as real as CSU, and especially further along in the process. CSU believed from me Day 1 my sophomore year. I remember when they called – best feeling ever. Really, when it came down to it, I was like, I don’t know what else I’m waiting for, I’ve got one of my dream schools which has offered me and I know they believe in me. That was a huge decision in it.”
He also had to wrestle with the notion of being a legacy kid. His father is one of the great success stories, coming from small-town, 8-man football in Nebraska as a walk-on. Then earning a scholarship. Then become a starter, winning a ton of games and then going on to play in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay.
Both of them did, really. When it came down to it, John was most proud of the fact Jack made the decision for the right reasons. It fit him, and what he wanted, not what his father had done.
John is thrilled, but he knows the next path has to be his son’s.
“I told him, in so many ways there’s been a lot of changes in the way of the stadium, the workout facilities – mainly from that standpoint, how much the atmosphere has grown,” John said. “As excited as I was for Jack to go to my alma mater, I didn’t want it to be old hat. I’m excited it’s not the same old weight room we had. It’s a big-time college football stadium and facilities and atmosphere for him, an indoor practice facility. I’m excited it’s going to be a different, but much better experience for him.
“I did feel like I could say a few people in that building, and I still know the culture of Ram Nation. When I think of that, I think of family. We won a lot of football games because we were a family of football player. That was instilled by Coach Sonny Lubick, and we played harder for him and harder for each other than most programs. From Day 1 when Addazio and his staff came in, they started talking about that and embracing the family atmosphere and they started recruiting Colorado players. Everything he said he was going to do, he’s done. That gives me a feeling Colorado State can get back to the same success they used to have that Coach Lubick brought.”
It wasn’t a big factor in my decision, but I did weigh that in. I think it’s really cool to have that legacy and have that tradition. It wasn’t scary, just a cool thing, I thought.Jack Howell, CSU Signee
Being a legacy was an aspect of the decision Jack gave serious thought to when weighing his options. There will instantly be expectations by those around town – and there are many – who remember his father and the type of player he was for the Rams.
Jack’s feeling was it was something to be proud – not afraid of – in the end.
“I think it’s pretty exciting, honestly. I think it’s kinda cool, having that same tradition,” he said. “It wasn’t a big factor in my decision, but I did weigh that in. I think it’s really cool to have that legacy and have that tradition. It wasn’t scary, just a cool thing, I thought.”
For Steve Addazio, it was easy to make sure the offer still stood, loving his competitiveness and his passion, and his play on the field only amplified those traits.
Besides, there is something special about recruiting a player with ties to a school. Add in the fact he spent most of his childhood in Colorado, double the excitement. In many ways, it just means more to them.
They represent their state. In this case, a name, as well.
“I love that. I just love the fact we were able watch generations, if you will. I think there’s just a bond,” he said. “One of things I see in colleges and I see here right now, I always say I want to recruit Colorado inside and out, because I think there’s an allegiance, a specialness, a pride factor. You’re not a stranger in a strange place. Here you have a legacy person, and they actually grew up with this fond feeling. It’s meaningful, there’s more there. That’s exciting.”
Not only will Jack play for his father’s school, but he’ll also be playing the same position. The name on the jersey will look familiar, but that’s where Jack would like to leave it. They have fun comparing their games, but that’s as far as it goes.
Jack is confident he will provide the program with a back-end player who is a sure-fire tackler in the open field. He’s also pretty good in coverage, as his high school team played man 80 percent of the time against some top-flight competition.
And he most definitely will not be wearing his dad’s number.
“No, I’m not. I’m not a big fan of 38,” Jack said laughing, noting something has to be his own. “I hope I get 11 or 7, but we’ll have to see. I’ve got to switch it up a bit.”
Getting 11 is probably out; it is currently worn by safety Henry Blackburn, who just finished his true freshman year. And like Blackburn, Jack will enroll at the semester and be on campus for spring ball. His father has told him he’ll remember his class best of all of his teammates, because for the next four of five years they will share and experience so much.
Coming in early only builds up the excitement for the son, who will be joined by four other midyear signees.
“I want to play as soon as I possibly can,” Jack said. “If I can win a spot and start playing by next year … If not, I get in front of my coaches and help my team whatever way possible. Just being around the guys, meeting new teammates.”
As of today, he’s officially a Ram. In the Howell household, it’s a big deal, and who is happiest is really not that hard to decipher.
“It’s a close one. It’s definitely a close one,” he said. “Maybe my mom, because I’ll be so close, unlike my sister in Tallahassee (his sister, Jaelin, is an All-ACC soccer player at Florida State who was just invited to the US National Team training camps roster), but I’ve got to say I’m most excited.”
Moving forward, it won’t be about living up to John’s legacy, but creating one that is all his own. In the end, that’s the most exciting part of all.