2009 Ohio's Mr. Football

Hoover's Erick Howard is Ohio's Mr. Football — again

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Todd Porter, Canton Repository

NORTH CANTON Erick Howard has played more than 1,200 snaps during the

last two football seasons. He never missed a start, and along the way set a

few records as a running back and linebacker for Hoover High School.

That’s what it takes to be named Mr. Football — two years in a row. Howard

on Wednesday became just the second player in Ohio history to win the

award twice. Euclid’s Robert Smith, who went on to Ohio State and then the

NFL, was the first.

Mr. Football is voted on by a panel of sports writers from across the state.

It is awarded to the state’s best player.

Howard thought someone was playing a prank on him. He didn’t believe he

had won the award for the second time.

“When they called and said I was a finalist, I was happy with that,” Howard

said. “Are you sure it’s me? Wow? I can’t believe that.”

Believe it.

Howard ran for 2,056 yards in 11 games and scored 27 touchdowns. Hoover

head coach Don Hertler Jr. said Howard scored every 9 to 10 times he

touched the football. He is Stark County’s all-time leading rusher with

6,013 yards, another record he set this season. His 79 career touchdowns

are another county record.

The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder didn’t just run behind what he called “the best

offensive line” in the state, either. He started at linebacker and led the Vikings

with 112 tackles, five for loss, four sacks and an interception.

“He played a lot of plays the last couple of years,” Hertler said. “He cherished

every moment playing. He didn’t want to come off the field and he played two

demanding positions. That’s special.”

Two of his most memorable games this season were comeback wins. He ran for 278 yards in a win against Lexington. After Hoover trailed McKinley 34-2 at halftime, Howard helped the Vikings come back and win that game. He carried it 34 times, scored three touchdowns and ran for 279 yards.

“I know this is an individual award, but it comes with team effort. I’m not blocking for myself or playing defense by myself. It’s a team effort. ... I can’t wait to call my linemen and tell them. I call them the road graders. They paved the way for me.”

Howard’s offensive linemen were Jake Berkshire, Pat McCoy, Brian Hayes, Mark Wiley and Alex Steenrod.

“With the bull’s-eye on his back and our back, to be able to stay healthy and be as durable ... was quite a burden,” Hertler said. “Erick has always been physically tough. I think what’s he’s learned this year is how to be mentally tough, too.”

High school football fans, particularly those in North Canton, have watched Howard mature into the player he is over the last four seasons. The big picture is they got to see one of the county’s greatest players during that time. Stark County has never had a Mr. Football winner, let alone one player win it twice.

“It’s a difficult thing to rank guys like that,” said ESPN college football analyst Todd Blackledge, a Stark County High School Football Hall of Famer from his days as Hoover’s quarterback. “You’ve got to believe whatever list that is — if you’re talking five or 10 guys — Erick Howard has got to be on the shortest list that there is. He’s done it for two solid years.

“You know you have somebody special, and there have been other players like this, when a guy has the ability to put a team on his back and carry them. That’s special.”

Gaining yards this season, however, was tougher than it was a year ago. Last year, Howard wasn’t the defending Mr. Football. He didn’t have opposing defenses gunning to stop him, and motivated to shut down “Mr. Football.” He didn’t have to face double teams as a linebacker every week, either.

“The difference between winning it this year and last year?” Howard said. “Well, I don’t have to worry about everyone coming back a trillion times harder to beat Hoover and stop me next year.”

Other finalists were West Chester Lakota West linebacker Jordan Hicks, Steubenville quarterback Dwight Macon, Columbus DeSales defensive lineman Travis Jackson, St. Ignatius quarterback Mark Myers, Logan quarterback Patrick Angle and Ada quarterback Heath Jackson.

It has been a pretty good football season for Howard. In addition to his accomplishments on the field, he was named Hoover’s Homecoming king.

Now there’s another award out there that’s eluding him. If winning Mr. Football twice was difficult, what about prom king?

“They said that it can’t be done,” Howard said. “They said that no one wins homecoming and prom king in the same year. If someone nominates me, maybe I’ll win. Who knows? I didn’t expect to win this.”

Past Mr. Football Award Winners

2009 Erick Howard, RB, Hoover

2008 Erick Howard, RB Hoover

2007 Bart Tanski, QB, Mentor

2006 Brandon Saine, RB, Piqua

2005 Delone Carter, RB, Copley

2004 Tyrell Sutton, RB, Akron Hoban

2003 Ray Williams, RB, Cleveland Benedictine

2002 Ben Mauk, QB, Kenton

2001 Maurice Clarett, RB, Warren Harding

2000 Jeff Backes, RB-DB, Upper Arlington

1999 Brandon “Bam” Childress, DB-WR-KR, Bedford Chanel

1998 Ryan Brewer, RB, Troy

1997 Tony Fisher, RB, Euclid

1996 Derek Combs, RB-DB-KR, Grove City

1995 Andy Katzenmoyer, LB, Westerville South

1994 Charles Woodson, DB-RB, Fremont Ross

1993 Curtis Enis, RB-LB, Mississinawa Valley

1992 Marc Edwards, RB-LB, Norwood

1991 Derek Kidwell, QB-DE, Fostoria

1990 Bobby Hoying, QB, St. Henry

1989 Robert Smith, RB, Euclid

1988 Robert Smith, RB, Euclid

1987 Ronald “Buster” Howe, RB-DB, Zanesville

HOWARD HIGHLIGHTS

Senior season

During his senior season at Hoover High School, Vikings running back and linebacker Erick Howard:

• rushed for 2,056 yards and 27 touchdowns, both tops in Stark County;

• finished his high school career with a 6,013 yards, 79 touchdowns and 478 points, all Stark County records;

• ran for 279 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries in helping Hoover overcome a 34-2 halftime deficit to beat McKinley, 38-34;

• ran for 278 yards in a comeback win over Lexington, one of six times this season he topped 200 yards in a game;

• led the Vikings defense with 102 tackles and caused four fumbles.

Game-by-game in ’09

A game-by-game look of Erick Howard’s 2,056 yards rushing this fall:

Opponent Att Yds Avg TD

D.C. Coolidge 18 137 7.6 3

Louisville 19 45 2.4 1

Lexington 48 278 5.8 3

Perry 23 241 10.5 3

Lake 28 274 9.8 5

Boardman 20 76 3.8 1

Fitch 40 240 6.0 4

McKinley 34 279 8.2 3

GlenOak 38 183 4.8 1

Jackson 31 204 6.6 2

Massillon 38 99 2.6 1

Totals 337 2,056 6.1 27

Stark County records

Career rushing yards

1, Erick Howard, Hoover, 2006-09 6,013

2, Morgan Williams, McKinley, 2004-06 5,177

3, E.J. Lilly, Alliance, 1996-98 5,162

4, Scott Weber, Northwest, 2002-05 4,891

5, Ryan Brinson, McKinley, 2002-04 4,772

6, Leon Powell, Minerva, 1987-88 4,215

Career points

1, Erick Howard, Hoover, 2006-09 478

2, Scott Weber, Northwest, 2002-05 446

3, Jeff Logan, Hoover, 1970-72 426

4, Morgan Williams, McKinley 2004-06 408

5, Brian Bowers, Lake, 1968-70 388

6, Bob Gladieux, Louisville, 1962-64 377

STATEWIDE LEADERS

A look at where Erick Howard ranks among Ohio high school football rushing leaders for this season and for a career.

2009 season

Name, school Att Yds TD Avg

Tavlon Wright, Thurgood Marshall 126 2,245 32 17.8

Devin Clodfelter, Independence 271 1,997 19 7.4

Erick Howard, Hoover 229 1,975 26 6.6

Dalton Caudill, Easton 242 1,930 24 8.0

Dan Pennington, Licking Heights 219 1,902 28 8.7

Note: The 2009 titles are for the 10 regular season games only.

Career

Name, school, years Yds

Tyrell Sutton, Hoban, 2001-04 9,426

Jason Bainum, Williamsburg, 1998-2001 8,216

Carlos Snow, CAPE, 1983-86 7,761

Ryan Brewer, Troy, 1995-98 7,656

Richard Hall, Cin. Wyoming, 1995-98 7,386

Brian Wagner, Springfield Central Catholic, 2004-07 6,785

Jordan Mabin, Nordonia, 2003-06 6,700

John Pettigrew, CVCA, 2005-08 6,389

Justin Rousch, Meigs, 1996-98 6,376

Donald Johnson, Cin. North College Hill, 1998-2001 6,353

Blain Maag, Col. Grove, 2001-04 6,134

Maurice Hall, Col. Brookhaven, 1997-2000 6,120

Brock Bolen, Germantown Valley View, 2001-03 6,099

Marcus Sanders, Ravenna, 1996-99 6,051

Erick Howard, Hoover, 2006-09 6,013

Also:

• His 79 career touchdown rank 12th in Ohio history.

NETWORK

Hoover Vikings Football

2009 Ohio's Mr. Football