‘Everything happened for a reason.’ Behind Keon Howard’s path from USM to Tulane.
During Keon Howard’s two seasons at Southern Miss, there was no escaping the spotlight that followed him 30 miles down Interstate 59 from his hometown of Laurel.
As a four-year starter at quarterback at Laurel High School, Howard led the Golden Tornadoes to a 2015 Class 5A state championship to become one of the most revered players in the history of a proud program.
Howard committed late to Southern Miss in 2016, giving new head coach Jay Hopson the biggest get of his first recruiting class and a local name that was sure to draw plenty of buzz.
Fast forward nearly four years and Howard is set to face off against Southern Miss as a Tulane backup when the two teams battle at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas.
While Howard is trying to treat his former school as “just another opponent,” if all had gone according to plan, he would have been the redshirt junior starting quarterback for the Golden Eagles this season.
As soon as Howard landed at USM, it was assumed that he would be the heir apparent to star quarterback Nick Mullens, who set numerous records for the Golden Eagles before spending the last three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
A bumpy start at USM
Howard’s playing time at USM came earlier than he or anyone on the staff could have expected when Mullens, a senior in 2016, and backup Parker Adamson went down with injuries in a loss to Charlotte on Nov. 5.
Howard started the next two games and offered flashes of brilliance, but his inexperience showed with four fumbles lost in his first start against Old Dominion — a 51-35 loss — and four interceptions while seeing action in the final four games. Hopson hated that Howard had to be forced into action as a true freshman, giving up what would have been an ideal redshirt year.
Looking back, Howard sees that season as a learning experience.
“Everything happened for a reason,” he said. “It was kind of an unprecedented situation for me. At the same time, I had to go out and do whatever I needed to do for the team and be unselfish. Kind of looking back, it helped me a lot. The things I learned my freshman and sophomore years, I’m able to share it with the freshmen and sophomores here.”
Howard started the season opener against Kentucky in 2017 and played in nine games, starting seven total. Junior college transfer Kwadra Griggs eventually took the starting role to close the season. For the season, Howard completed 56.5 percent of his passes for 1,199 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions.
Choosing Tulane
After putting together a strong 2018 spring practice at USM, Howard announced in early July that he would be leaving the school. About a month later, he transferred to Tulane.
Howard said this week that the decision to leave USM wasn’t because of a crowded QB competition, but mostly due to his desire to strike out on his own after spending his entire life in the Hattiesburg/Laurel area.
“It was just the best option for me to be able to kind of go out and get away from home and expand on myself as an individual,” he said.
At USM, it was clear that Howard felt the pressure of the expectations that followed him from Laurel. During a back-and-forth quarterback battle with Griggs his sophomore season, he declined to give media interviews for several weeks.
Outside the Tulane weight room Monday, Howard smiled and quickly put out his hand when he saw a familiar reporter from his Southern Miss days. His Tulane experience has been a maturing one.
“It’s just being able to grow on my own, learning who I really am,” he said. “Off the field. I’m getting a great education. Tulane is one of the best institutions in the world. On the field, it’s just being able to do what I love to do — to go out and have fun and compete every day.”
His old high school coach, Todd Breland, has stayed in contact with him and has noticed a change in his former star QB.
“He’s always been a mature kid and very respectful with good character and morals,” Breland said. “You listen to him talk now, he’s become a man. He talks like a man. He’s always been fun to be around with, loving and joking. But you hear the tone of his voice now, he’s become a grown man.”
New Orleans is located less than two hours from the Hattiesburg/Laurel area, but it may as way be a world away due to its urban way of life.
“It’s been great,” Howard said. “I wouldn’t change nothing about what I went through just to be here. I always dreamed growing up that I’d be able to live in New Orleans. I got the opportunity to live in New Orleans and get a great education.”
Howard has settled in well in New Orleans and has only been back to Laurel a couple of times since making the move.
“I guess I like being here,” he said. “It helped me kind of grow and find myself. When I do go home, I talk to Coach Breland and spend time with family and friends.”
Keon Howard’s path ahead
Howard sat out the 2018 season due to NCAA transfer rules as former LSU quarterback Justin McMillan took over as Tulane’s starter midway through the season. McMillan continued his strong play this year, leading the Green Wave to a 6-6 campaign and the program’s second consecutive bowl bid.
Howard has seen time off the bench in four games this year, completing 13 of 18 passes for 208 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He has also rushed 12 times for 52 yards and TD.
With one more year of eligibility remaining, Howard believes his chance to run the show at quarterback will come in 2020 and he’s confident that he’ll thrive in offensive coordinator Will Hall’s system.
Hall, the son of former Biloxi and Madison Central head coach Bobby Hall, has watched Howard improve as a quarterback and clean up some of the mistakes that popped up during his time at USM.
“He’s improving his understanding of the offense,” Hall said. “He’s gotten better as a runner. He’s more decisive as a runner. Also, he’s doing a better job of holding onto the ball. He’s talented with great leadership skills. He’s just got to continue to take care of the football.”
Howard’s lone focus at the moment is preparing to take on many of his old teammates and friends at TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium. He lists linebacker Racheem Boothe, receiver Quez Watkins, defensive end Jacques Turner and receiver Jaylond Adams among the players he considers friends on the USM roster.
“We’ve talked a couple of times — a couple of guys,” Howard said of his interactions with USM players since the bowl matchup was announced. “It’s just catching up on old times, just chopping it up. This Saturday, we’ll still be brothers. In between those lines, it’s a dog/dog world. We’ll try to win.”
This story was originally published December 31, 2019 at 2:02 PM.
