MVN - Most Valuable Network

MYNC: Marcus Howard

This is the fourth installment in an ongoing, nine-part series on the Colts’ selections in the NFL draft.

There’s just one thing you need to know about Marcus Howard.

He’s fast.

Really fast.

Of course, that should make perfect sense to anyone who’s familiar with the Bill Polian/Tony Dungy Era. If the Colts are going to draft an outside pass rusher, he’s going to be lightning-quick (and “undersized!”). You can almost hear Howard echo Ricky Bobby, “Momma, I’m goin’ fast!” as he shows off his 4.4 speed.

Howard’s story has an aura of the underdog to it, almost Rudy-esque in some respects. He was a highly-touted linebacking prospect at Georgia. But Howard found himself buried in the depth chart. He didn’t get much playing time. Then, Howard caught a break. It’s something Colt Brennan probably wishes never happened. Brennan can thank Georgia defensive line coach Jon Fabris:

“The linebacker coach did not want (Marcus Howard) for some reason or another, and I said,’I’ll take him. Who cares if he’s six foot and a half-inch?’ Don’t tell him that, he thinks he’s 6-2.”

Dawg Post.com, September 7, 2007

Howard didn’t make his first start as a Bulldog until his senior season. It was a long wait for the fifth year player.  But after sitting the bench and undergoing a position switch, it was his time to shine. Howard made the most of his senior year, finishing with 10.5 sacks, 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, three forced fumbles, and a spot on the All-SEC team.

Not bad for a player who was “too small” to survive as a defensive end!

In fact, Howard used his size to the disadvantage of offensive linemen he faced. It’s something that caught the eye of head coach Mark Richt:

“A guy like Marcus Howard, it’s tough for somebody to get under his pads. “He gets under some of these big guys’ pads and because he’s so quick off the ball and strong, he sometimes will lift a big 320-pounder out of his shoes.”

The Albany Herald, September 5, 2007

Essentially, Howard became the sensation story of the Georgia Bulldogs; a kind of SEC version of “Rudy.” Heck, he even spent his first year at Georgia getting beat up on the scout team. And while it’s clear he enjoyed much more playing time and on-field success than Rudy Ruettiger, it’s not a stretch to say he’s cut from the same mold.

BONUS FACT: Listed for his senior season at 220 pounds, Howard is quick to point out that he really weighs 235.

EYE-POPPING COLLEGE STAT: Howard had the game of his life against Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. How’s this for a stat line: four tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles…one of which he recovered himself and turned into a touchdown. The performance earned him Most Outstanding Player and helped deliver us quality headlines like “Howard, Dawgs deliver Hawaiian punch.”

This entry was posted on Monday, May 5th, 2008 at 11:10 am and is filed under Marcus Howard, Colts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.