Latest news with #HeyRookie:WelcometotheNFL
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Will Howard goes viral for 'begging' Steelers to draft him in Round 6 of 2025 NFL Draft
Will Howard goes viral for 'begging' Steelers to draft him in Round 6 of 2025 NFL Draft Will Howard, once considered a fringe Day 2 to early Day 3 QB prospect, found himself unselected until the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft — an unforeseen circumstance the Steelers would ultimately alleviate. On the most recent episode of Hey Rookie: Welcome to the NFL, fans caught a glimpse of what Howard went through before being drafted by the Steelers with pick No. 185. The Ohio State QB was fed up with waiting and practically begged to be selected by the Steel City: "Please pick me, please! Please, pick me Pittsburgh." No one could prepare Howard and his family for what would happen next — a phone call from the Steelers. Howard was visibly emotional as he was embraced by his mother and joked that his family of Eagles supporters would soon transition into fans of the Black and Gold. It was a touching draft-day moment — one that Steelers fans hope to remember as the beginning of Howard's stellar Steel City career.
Fox News
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Ohio State's Will Howard seemingly wills Steelers into drafting him
Will Howard fell a bit further than some might have expected in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the former Ohio State quarterback might have manifested his landing spot before the Pittsburgh Steelers took him in the sixth round. In a clip shared by the NFL previewing the next episode of "Hey Rookie: Welcome to the NFL," Howard pleaded for the Steelers to select him as he watched the final rounds of the draft with family and friends. "Please pick me, please," Howard said in the clip. "Please pick me, Pittsburgh." The next shot of the edited clip shows Howard getting a phone call from the Steelers, informing him that Pittsburgh is drafting him with the 185th overall pick. "Are you ready to be a Steeler?" an unidentified member of the Steelers' organization asked Howard. "F-----g right, man," Howard said with a grin as he slapped the tabletop next to him in excitement. "Let's go!" Steelers coach Mike Tomlin eventually took the phone to chat with Howard. "I'm doing great, coach," Howard replied when Tomlin asked how he was doing. "How are you?" "Hey, man. Congratulations, man, to you," Tomlin told Howard. "You deserve it, man. To your family, you guys enjoy it today." Howard, who grew up in the Philadelphia suburb of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, told Tomlin that his family was set to change their NFL allegiance. "All Eagles fans, but now they're gonna be some damn Steelers fans in this world," Howard said with a laugh while his family applauded around him. When the pick was officially announced on the broadcast of the draft, Howard got emotional. He teared up as he hugged his mother, Maureen. A few moments later, he and the rest of his family ran to the backyard and jumped into their pool in excitement. As Howard's football career brings him back to Pennsylvania, he had moved closer to home this past college football season. He transferred from Kansas State to Ohio State ahead of the 2024 season, a move that paid major dividends. He led Ohio State to a national championship, standing out in all four of its College Football Playoff wins. He threw for 1,150 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions in the postseason, finishing the year with 4,010 passing yards, 42 total touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Prior to joining Ohio State, Howard started 27 games at Kansas State. He was named second-team All-Big 12 in 2023 before being named third-team All-Big Ten in 2024 and eventually won Offensive MVP of the national championship game this past season. FOX Sports NFL Draft expert Rob Rang ranked Howard as his No. 101 top prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, giving the Steelers a "B" grade for their draft haul as he liked Pittsburgh's selection of the former Ohio State quarterback. Howard figures to be a part of the Steelers' quarterback room this upcoming season as Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson (who Howard backed up at Kansas State) are the only other quarterbacks on Pittsburgh's roster as of Tuesday. The Steelers have still been strongly linked to free agent Aaron Rodgers. Howard will also reunite with former Ohio State Jack Sawyer in Pittsburgh. The Steelers took Sawyer in the fifth round of the draft. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
Fox Sports
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Ohio State's Will Howard seemingly wills Steelers into drafting him
Will Howard fell a bit further than some might have expected in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the former Ohio State quarterback might have manifested his landing spot before the Pittsburgh Steelers took him in the sixth round. In a clip shared by the NFL previewing the next episode of "Hey Rookie: Welcome to the NFL," Howard pleaded for the Steelers to select him as he watched the final rounds of the draft with family and friends. "Please pick me, please," Howard said in the clip. "Please pick me, Pittsburgh." The next shot of the edited clip shows Howard getting a phone call from the Steelers, informing him that Pittsburgh is drafting him with the 185th overall pick. "Are you ready to be a Steeler?" an unidentified member of the Steelers' organization asked Howard. "F-----g right, man," Howard said with a grin as he slapped the tabletop next to him in excitement. "Let's go!" Steelers coach Mike Tomlin eventually took the phone to chat with Howard. "I'm doing great, coach," Howard replied when Tomlin asked how he was doing. "How are you?" "Hey, man. Congratulations, man, to you," Tomlin told Howard. "You deserve it, man. To your family, you guys enjoy it today." Howard, who grew up in the Philadelphia suburb of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, told Tomlin that his family was set to change their NFL allegiance. "All Eagles fans, but now they're gonna be some damn Steelers fans in this world," Howard said with a laugh while his family applauded around him. When the pick was officially announced on the broadcast of the draft, Howard got emotional. He teared up as he hugged his mother, Maureen. A few moments later, he and the rest of his family ran to the backyard and jumped into their pool in excitement. As Howard's football career brings him back to Pennsylvania, he had moved closer to home this past college football season. He transferred from Kansas State to Ohio State ahead of the 2024 season, a move that paid major dividends. He led Ohio State to a national championship, standing out in all four of its College Football Playoff wins. He threw for 1,150 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions in the postseason, finishing the year with 4,010 passing yards, 42 total touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Prior to joining Ohio State, Howard started 27 games at Kansas State. He was named second-team All-Big 12 in 2023 before being named third-team All-Big Ten in 2024 and eventually won Offensive MVP of the national championship game this past season. FOX Sports NFL Draft expert Rob Rang ranked Howard as his No. 101 top prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, giving the Steelers a "B" grade for their draft haul as he liked Pittsburgh's selection of the former Ohio State quarterback. Howard figures to be a part of the Steelers' quarterback room this upcoming season as Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson (who Howard backed up at Kansas State) are the only other quarterbacks on Pittsburgh's roster as of Tuesday. The Steelers have still been strongly linked to free agent Aaron Rodgers. Howard will also reunite with former Ohio State Jack Sawyer in Pittsburgh. The Steelers took Sawyer in the fifth round of the draft. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
19-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Will Steelers heed Ohio State QB Will Howard's draft warning?
Will Steelers heed Ohio State QB Will Howard's draft warning? The Pittsburgh Steelers have several intriguing quarterback prospects to choose from in the 2025 NFL Draft — and Ohio State QB Will Howard has warned them, and every other QB-needy team, against drafting any signal callers other than himself. On an episode of Hey Rookie: Welcome to the NFL, Howard made sure NFL franchises knew what would happen if they passed on him: 'I don't want [NFL teams] to miss out on me, because every single team that picks a quarterback in front of me, I'm going to make it my mission to make sure that they regret not picking me,' Howard warned. 'Draft me. Draft me, or you'll regret it.' Quarterback prospects have long echoed similar sentiments — draft me or lose to me — but whether Howard's comments age like Peyton Manning's warning to the Colts or go the way of Josh Rosen's infamous 'nine mistakes made ahead of me' line remains to be seen. Howard is a proven winner — having led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 2024 CFB championship — but it remains to be seen whether the Steelers will turn him into the savior of their QB room… or the adversary for years to come.
