Houston Texans offensive lineman Tytus Howard recently signed a healthy extension to protect new franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud.
At a recent Texans practice, the former Alabama State star expressed gratitude to the team for giving him a chance and inspiring future HBCU football players to draw from.
“It’s been a long journey. All I wanted was a chance,” Howard told Houston Style Magazine sports editor Brian Barefield. “I’m grateful because not everybody got a chance to show their skills the way I did. I took my chance and ran with it.”
Last week, Howard signed a 3-year, $56-million extension, making him among the highest-paid offensive linemen in the league.
After converting from tight end to offensive lineman, where he was an All-SWAC performer, the 6-foot-5, 322-pound Howard was a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and has improved each year, allowing just three sacks in 2022, playing both right tackle and right guard.
He believes his rise among NFL linemen and the corresponding payday can motivate future Black College football prospects to keep dreaming those big dreams.
“For me to be able to go out and take advantage of it, it’s an inspiration to all the younger guys coming behind me at HBCUs to achieve what they need to do. They just have to put their heads down and go to work.”