Awards and Honors:
2023 First Team All-UAC (LB)
2023 NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program Career Development Award
Dean's List (F20, F22)
Athletics Director's Honor Roll (F21, S23, F23, S24)
2023: A First Team All-UAC selection, he started all 12 games at linebacker… Opened the season with 10 tackles – his first career double-digit tackle outing – at Southern Illinois (Sept. 2)… Recorded a career-best 13 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, and a quarterback hurry at Tennessee (Sept. 9)… Tallied eight tackles, a sack, and two quarterback hurries against ETSU (Sept. 16)… Picked up six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss at Stephen F. Austin (Sept. 23)… Had nine tackles and a tackle for loss against Gardner-Webb (Oct. 14)…. Added nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss at Southern Utah (Oct. 21)… Posted 11 tackles and a career-high two tackles for loss against North Alabama (Oct. 28)…Totaled five tackles, a quarterback hurry, and two pass breakups against Utah Tech (Nov. 11)… Matched his career-high with 13 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against Central Arkansas (Nov. 18)… Recorded 12 tackles in the FCS Playoffs First Round against Chattanooga (Nov. 25)… Finished the season with 105 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, a sack, three pass breakups, and a fumble recovery – all were career highs… Ranked 35th in the FCS and third in the UAC with 8.8 tackles per game… Ranked second on APSU, third in the UAC, and 26th in the FCS in total tackles… Ranked third in the UAC and led the Governors in tackles for loss… Led the Governors with five double-digit tackle games and his two 13-tackle outings were tied for the third best mark by an APSU player in 2023… Was one of two players in the UAC with 100-plus tackles and double-digit tackles for loss.
2022: One of the Governors five season-long captains, he played in four games off the bench at linebacker… Had a season-high three tackles in his season debut against Jacksonville State (Oct. 29)… Had a tackle at North Alabama (Nov. 5) and a pair of stops at Kennesaw State (Nov. 12)… Recorded two tackles and a half tackle for loss at Alabama (Nov. 19)… Finished the season with eight tackles and a half tackle for loss.
2021: Played in seven games during the 2021 season… Had a career-high four tackles against Morehead State (Sept. 18)… Served as the Govs short snapper on field-goal attempts in games against Tennessee State (Oct. 2), Southeast Missouri (Oct. 9), and Murray State (Oct. 23)… Finished the season with six tackles.
2020-2021: Appeared in five games… Recorded his first career tackle in the Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff game against Central Arkansas (Aug. 29).
High School: Played linebacker at Shades Valley High School for head coach David Partridge… Named honorable mention All-Birmingham by AL.com as a senior… Recorded 91 tackles in nine games as a junior… Also played basketball as a guard and forward.
Personal: Samuel Warren Howard Jr. is the son of Latanya Grissom and Walter Jordan… Birthday is July 26… has an older sibling, Tykeria… A health and human performance major with a sport and wellness specialist concentration.
