Ohio State’s Will Howard vows to keep ‘trusting in the Lord’ even through life’s ups and downs
Ohio State looked dominant in the top 12 team in history College Football Playoffs.
After knocking off Tennessee in the first round, the Buckeyes knocked off the No. 1 Oregon Ducks in the quarterfinals. Ohio State therefore defeated the Texas Longhorns in the semifinals to advance to the championship game on Monday.
Quarterback Will Howard will be under center when Ohio State meets Notre Dame in the highly anticipated title game.
Howard spent four seasons at Kansas State. However, he entered the transfer portal in 2023. In January 2024, he revealed his intentions to move to Ohio State. Howard went on to have the best regular season of his college career in Columbus, Ohio.
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Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard, #18, leaves the field after the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game against the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January 10, 2025. (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The 23-year-old threw for a career-high 3,779 yards and 33 touchdowns with 10 interceptions during his freshman year at Ohio State. Howard has also used his legs this season, rushing for seven goals.
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This year’s Buckeyes roster includes multiple players, including Howard, who are open about their personal faith. Howard’s on-field interview following the aforementioned command of Ohio State win over Oregon at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day was one of many moments where the quarterback put his beliefs on full display.
“First and foremost, I have to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving me this opportunity to be on this stage at the Rose Bowl,” Howard said. “The younger me would be scared now.”
Ohio State running back Will Howard, #18, passes against Texas during the second half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Not long after the Buckeyes upset by archrival Michigan in late November, Howard mentioned his faith when asked to share his reaction to the loss.
“I sat and thought about the opportunity that I have here and what I’ve been through this year, the ups and downs, it’s all been for my own good,” he said, via Columbus news station WCMHbefore reaffirming his steadfast faith. “I know God puts these obstacles in front of us to develop us and there’s a reason for that. I’m just going to trust the plan.”
Will Howard #18 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
He added that unwavering “trust in the Lord” has proved useful in his life.
“We have to trust in the Lord and lean on him no matter what, through the ups and downs,” he told NBC4. “I tried to just get in my Bible and pray a little bit. Just go back to the Lord and say, ‘I need you.’
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“When you come to Him in a humble way, it changes your perspective. I lay it down for Him and say, ‘God, I trust you. I don’t know why it happened, but it happened for a reason. I’m going to believe it myself.’
Howard and a few of his Buckeyes teammates arrived in pre-season training wearing “Jesus Won” T-shirts.
The College Football Playoff National Championship Game kicks off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20th at 7:30pm ET.
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