By David Gardner
Before Jaye Howard ever saw a significant snap on the field he had a lot of growing to do. He had to grow up as a person and grow out as in filling out a frame that carried only 230 pounds when he arrived at Florida from Orlando Jones.
It seems like so long ago that Howard was a defensive end prospect. He’s 305 now and the extra weight is a reason he is on the field seeing significant playing time at tackle. Last year, when he was still trying to gain weight, getting on the field was difficult but now that he’s bigger and playing inside he likes the move he’s made.
“I had to adjust to the weight,” Howard said between gasps after finishing practice Monday. “It’s difficult because I have still been playing some end. I’m breathing heavy, but I like playing tackle.”
Like so many high school stars, Howard arrived in Gainesville pretty much expecting to step on the field and play from day one. He got a measure of comeuppance when he took a redshirt as a true freshman. He got a bit more one day last season in a post-practice conversation with defensive line coach Dan McCarney, who wasn’t buying into anyone with a sense of entitlement.
Howard’s dad was present that day when McCarney lit into him. While Howard still won’t divulge the particulars of the diatribe, he said it taught him that he wouldn’t be given anything at this level of football.
“I pouted a lot because I wanted to play but I wasn’t ready,” he said. “I gained a lot of maturity, though, and learned that I wasn’t ready to start. So I started watching film, coming in early and talking to the coaches about what I need to improve on.”
First thing on the agenda was getting out of McCarney’s doghouse and that meant listening rather than arguing. He learned to appreciate McCarney’s coaching style and got coached up enough that he saw significant playing time in both the Southeastern Conference and BCS National championship games.
The experience of maturing and coming through for the team in pressure situations prepared him for anything this season.
“I’m ready right now,” Howard said. “My whole thing this year is to work hard and get on the field.”
Now with a bigger frame and a better attitude, Howard has moved into the three technique (outside of the guard’s shoulder) and is running with the first team. Even with the extra weight, he said that he hasn’t lost his speed.
If anything, he’s actually playing faster.
“The position is to my advantage because I am quicker than the guards,” he said. “I’m going against Big Carl (Johnson) who is 360, and I’m 300. But I can move, so it’s to my advantage.”
It’s also to his advantage that, Terron Sanders and Lawrence Marsh are recovering from injuries this spring. With last year’s starters out, Howard and redshirt freshman Omar Hunter are running getting a lot of reps in practice.
Howard understands that Sanders will be fit and ready to go in August so he is using the spring to prepare for a battle for playing time.
“Sanders is a great playerand it’s gonna make the both of us better,” Howard said. “We’re gonna play better and compete harder. But I’m the frontrunner right now. I’m paying good and starting.”
Still, there is a chance that even after all the hard work he puts in this spring, that he will lose his job and play only sparingly again this season.
“You just have to sit back and wait,” Howard said. “Your time will come. If you’re a Percy Harvin, you’ll go play. But it took me a long time to get accustomed to the game. Now I’m ready, and I’ll go play.”
After being thrown into the fire last season, Howard knows better than anyone that “your time” can come before you’re even ready for it.
“It was hard,” Howard said. “I wasn’t expecting to get thrown in there as a redshirt freshman. In the Alabama game at crunch time, I came up and made some big plays. It’s really about the program — you train hard all spring and summer, and when someone goes down, you’re the next in line.”
But Howard wants to be first in line this season. As he prepares, he remembers his lessons from last season. He realizes now that when McCarney ripped him a new one, that “it was just him trying to get the best out of me.”
Now, the best is coming out.
“I have a lot of experience right now,” Howard said. “I’m ready to go in the game and make a big play when they need me.”