Houston Texans offensive lineman Tytus Howard traded in his pads for a suit on Saturday night in Atlanta to accept a prestigious award.
The former Alabama State star was presented with the Pro Player of The Year award by the Black College Football Hall of Fame as part of its 2023 induction ceremony.
“It just let me know that the work I put in has been noticed and I just continue to keep my head down, grind and jut continue to put on for HBCUs,” Howard said of receiving the award. “And to see that I was awarded this award this year, it’s very valuable to me, to my family to Alabama State University – being the first player to ever get this award from the school.”
Tytus Howard arrived at ASU in 2014 as a long, lanky tight end. Five years later he was picked in the first round by the Houston Texans, becoming the first HBCU player selected in the NFL Draft’s first round since Tennessee State defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was back in 2008.
“It was a long process, but I stayed patient, I was blessed to have multiple good head coaches there at Alabama State. They instilled a lot of knowledge in me and I just put my head down, put the work in and Alabama State molded me into the player that I am today.”
Howard played just under 1,000 snaps on the Houston Texans offensive line in 2022 and allowed just three sacks. He’s also proud to represent HBCU players at the highest level.
“I’m going to continue to put on for HBCUs,” he continued. “The NFL has been a great process and I’m continuing to get better and better every year. And I just want to let everybody know it’s not about where you start but it’s all bout what you do when you finish.”
Like many recent HBCU players who actually were drafted, Howard got a chance to go up against a Power Five program in Auburn while at ASU. While playing against top-tier competition is often looked at as a critical factor for players getting picked in the NFL Draft, Howard says it is important to be consistent every game.
“You got to just take advantage of it. How I look at it now, no matter what game whether you are playing some big time schools or some small schools – what I learned in the NFL is its a lot of guys from everywhere – D2, D3, NAIA. It’s all about what you do. Your resume is your film. You have to put the work in when you get the chance to be in the spotlight.”
That’s exactly what Howard has been doing since he got to Alabama State, and it has continued to serve him well.