Chris Howard has had one heck of a journey as a member of the University of Florida football program, and although he has been there for four years, it seems like his path is just now beginning.
The Ponte Vedra High alum and redshirt senior kicker graduated in early August with a bachelor's degree in sport management and a minor in business. He has now shifted his focus to pursuing a master’s degree, although he is still figuring out the career path that best suits him.
“I just know that I want to go into the business side of sports when my playing days are over,” Howard said.
Walking across the stage to receive his diploma was an emotional moment for Howard and his family, especially knowing all the hard work that went into getting to that point.
“It was pretty surreal,” Howard said. “School was pretty tough, so it was a big accomplish to achieve in front of all your family and friends.”
Howard was named to the SEC academic honor roll in 2018 and 2020.
Since walking on to the Gators’ squad in 2017, he has been fighting to be the starting kicker, and this year, he will have the best opportunity he has had to earn the top job.
It is also the first season he will enter as a scholarship player after being granted a scholarship in January.
Hearing the news that he earned a scholarship after four years as a walk on has been arguably the greatest moment of his college career and is something that will stick with him forever.
“It was one of the best feelings I’ve had in a long time,” Howard said. “Coach Mullen said he would find me a scholarship after Evan (McPherson) left. He kept true to his word.”
According to Howard, he felt such a sense of accomplishment, as if he reached the end goal, but then he quickly realized that there are much bigger goals still up for grabs on the horizon.
“I have a real opportunity this year to see the field,” Howard said. “I’ve been working the last couple of years for this moment.”
He has been competing during fall practice with Jace Christmann, who is new to the team as a graduate transfer from Mississippi State.
One of the things Howard is leaning on is the experience he gained playing in reserve duty in five games during the past two seasons.
Last year, he showed the coaching staff exactly what he could do by making a pair of field goals and all five of his extra-point attempts in contests against Missouri and Arkansas.
“I definitely think that experience is pretty valuable,” Howard said.
Kicking can be mentally demanding and the pressure of making a kick with the opposing team barreling down around you can be overwhelming if thought about for too long.
“Don’t make it a bigger kick than it is,” Howard said. “You just try to go out there and execute.”
The mental side of the game has been something Howard has worked on since he first started experimenting with kicking in eighth grade.
“I always played soccer, so I knew I had the tools to do it,” Howard said.
He began his career at Ponte Vedra High School as a wide receiver, but eventually made the full commitment to being the team’s kicker as a sophomore.
“I really haven’t looked back,” Howard said.
Howard credited former PVHS special teams coach Kris Kramer for helping with the mental side of the game while in high school, but when it came to his technique, he was able to hone that himself over the years.
“The height on my ball and ball striking have really improved the most,” Howard said. I’m still always working to improve kickoffs.”
Several small schools recruited him out of high school, but he had high expectations that he continued to shoot for.
“I always told my parents that if I was going to play in college, I wanted to do it on the big stage,” Howard said.
It may have taken a little longer than he initially wanted, but that big stage came calling when Florida’s coaches called and told him they thought he had what it took to compete for a spot on the team.
The call came just in time, as he was about to start classes at Florida State University.
Four years later, he has a degree, is under scholarship, and is in the hunt to be the Gators’ starting kicker in the season opener at home against Florida Atlantic at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 4.
“It’s definitely been a crazy journey, but I just always kept believing and working toward what I knew was possible,” Howard said. “No matter what situation you find yourself in, at the end of the day it comes down to you to make the most of it.”
