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CHAPEL HILL – Sam Howell could have sat out North Carolina’s game at NC State nearly two weeks ago, but he didn’t.
The Tar Heels’ record-setting quarterback had been getting hammered all season because he was an integral part of UNC’s ground attack, and that he was sacked 44 times and hit after throwing the ball many more.
It was at the end of an overtime loss at Pittsburgh in mid-November when Howell was crunched to the ground injuring a shoulder. He sat out a win over Wofford and was banged up going into the game versus the Wolfpack. But he played. And that UNC lost in demoralizing fashion is some of the fuel that led Howell to choosing to play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30 versus South Carolina.
Howell tweeted out the news Tuesday night, and Wednesday morning, Carolina Coach Mack Brown went into detail about his star player’s decision.
“The fact is that our program wouldn’t be where it is today without Sam,” Brown said in his first press conference since the Tar Heels lost in Raleigh. “He has been unbelievable for three years, he’s a warrior. A lot of guys would not have played in our last game because they had a hurt shoulder, and he’s worried about the NFL… And not only did he play in the game, he said, ‘run me, man. Do whatever we need to win the game.’
“He’s an unbelievable young guy and he is tough as nails. He is also such a team guy that he’s handed the NIL, which is crazy right now across the country. He’s handled it so well with our team and in the locker room that when he’s gotten opportunities, he’s pulled other teammates in with him. And it’s not surprising to me when he comes up and says, ‘I want to play, coach. I want to play in the bowl game. This is important, we need to win. We’ve got to finish this thing right.’”
From a passing perspective, Howell’s season has been a tad on the disappointing side given what he did the previous two campaigns and that in August he was one of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy. The junior from Indian Trail, NC, completed 62.7 percent of his pass attempts for 2,851 yards, 23 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. The yards and TD passes are lows for his career and the picks thrown is a career-high.
Howell, however, still managed to move the Heels on offense. They are No. 9 nationally in total yardage at 479.6 yards per contest, and No. 17 in scoring at 36.4 points per game. He also ran for 825 yards, which includes factoring in 243 lost yards courtesy of all those sacks.
If Howell is indeed heading to the NFL, which Brown hasn’t been so subtle hinting at for the better part of a year, he will don Carolina blue one more time and try to finish off the season on the right track for himself and the program.
“Really excited about Sam Howell playing and all he's accomplished and what he's done,” Brown said. “This could be his last game he, hasn't told us for sure yet. But to have a sore shoulder, miss the Wofford game, and go compete like he did, play like he did in our last game is really something special.
“He's a tough young man, a smart young man, he's been a great leader for us. He's done so many great things. His first game and our first game here was South Carolina in Charlotte, so this is kind of a restart at the end of our third year."
As for the NFL stuff, Howell has not informed the staff about any decision, if he has actually made one.
“He’s going to be a first-round draft choice in my estimation,” Brown said. “His family is getting information, just like all the other guys, to make that decision. Normally, we’ve told our guys, ‘If you’re a first-rounder go.’ But he doesn’t want to be a distraction for the team, just like on senior day. Or, before the bowl game and start talking about something else. He’s all about the team, and he’s all about winning…
“Our job is to give him information, he and his family’s job is to make the decision on what’s best for him. And we stay out of those decisions completely.”
Not every NFL mock draft has Howell going in the first round, but multiple do with the No. 10 slot to Washington a possibility.
In his career to date, Howell has thrown at least one touchdown pass in all 36 games in which he has played for the Tar Heels while setting numerous school records. Among those marks the Indian Trail, NC, native owns are most passing yards (10,078), most touchdown passes (91), total yards (11,074), and total touchdowns (110).
