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CHAPEL HILL – Regardless whether or not Sam Howell is off to the NFL, that decision wasn’t going to keep him from competing with his guys in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, last game for him in a North Carolina uniform or not.
“Honestly it wasn't really a decision to be made, when it comes down to playing the bowl game,” Howell said Monday afternoon, the first time the media has spoken with him since the record-setting quarterback tweeted he would play in the Dec. 30 game.
“I just love this team, I love playing football, that’s the main thing, and I love this sport. So, it wouldn't sit right for me not playing the bowl game.”
Howell is projected to go in the first round of the NFL draft next spring according to most mock draft sites, and he left little reason Monday to expect a return. The Indian Trail, NC, native answered questions about his legacy at UNC and closing his Carolina career playing near his hometown, not once deflecting those notions.
But he has not formally announced his intentions, and right now that’s not on his radar.
“I still have a lot of decisions to be made about my future,” he said. “It's just something I’m praying about, talking to my family about. But I love this team, I have so much fun being around these guys. I didn't want NC State to be my last game or anything like that. I'm here for this team and they're gonna give everything I got in the bowl game.
“I'm having a lot of fun. I just had probably the most fun I've ever had at practice, so I'm enjoying it. I'm just thankful for this opportunity to get to play in a bowl game. We are going to go there and give it our best shot.”
Carolina lost its last game of the regular season, 34-30, to the Wolfpack after allowing two touchdowns over the final two minutes of the game. He didn’t want to go out with that as his last Tar Heel taste, but Howell can also gain some favor by playing.
In an era when so many NFL prospects opt out of their bowl games, like four UNC players did last season when the team was headed to the Orange Bowl, its first major bowl in 71 years, Howell’s stance is a bit refreshing. It might also send a message to NFL teams about his competitive spirit and toughness.
Howell ran the ball for 825 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, in addition to his passing exploits, but that includes losing 243 yards being sacked 44 times. So, that Howell is going back out there one more time with his team after taking a beating this season could resonate well with general managers around the league.
“Yeah, I mean I think that's definitely one way you can look at it,” he said. “That's not what drove me to this decision was for me trying to show you know I'm here for my team. I think the reality of it is, I am here for my team. I'm not doing this just because I want to show people that's what I’m about. That's just truly who I am.
“I pride myself on being a good teammate and always being here for these guys. And it just wouldn't sit right with me, kind of giving up on the season.”
What did sit well with Howell was the creative way he let the Carolina universe know he will play versus South Carolina in the bowl game.
Howell teamed up with Jeremy Sharpe, UNC Football’s Director of Communications and Branding, to create a gif showing Homer Simpson, famed star of the cartoon The Simpsons, guzzling a jar of mayonnaise. The label even looked a bit like the one Duke’s Mayo uses. The tweet also ended a swell of speculation, most of which leaned on the All-ACC player not playing versus the Gamecocks.
“Yeah, there was a lot of speculation out there,” Howell said. “All the advice I got was probably to not play in the bowl game and everyone was probably expecting me not to. So, I just kind of wanted to end it all, and kind of let everyone know that this is what I wanna do...
“There's actually a lot of thought put into how I wanted to get that information out there. I wanted something kind of funny. I was texting Jeremy about it to see what he thought, and we were bouncing some ideas on each other trying to have some fun with it but I'm super excited.”
And to be clear, Howell needed help with the gif. He isn’t exactly pounding his chest about his high-tech skills.
“I found one and made a decision on it,” Howell said. “But I was just kind of looking around at all the little, I don't know what it's called like gifs or whatever it's called, yeah and kind of looking through those and trying to find a cool one.
“But me and Jeremy kind of sending them back and forth and stuff we both have some really good ideas but ultimately I ended up finding that one and thought it would be something funny.”
It was certainly well received by UNC’s fan base – the tweet and its contents – because at least for one more game, Sam Howell will sling it around for the Tar Heels.
*Brandon Peay contributed to this report.
Sam Howell Monday Interview
