Just how fast is O.J. Howard

AlistarWills

All-American
Jul 26, 2006
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I've stopped and started this and restarted it and rewatched it...just how fast is OJ?
It appears you have man coverage across the board. CB at the top of the screen wants to jam the outside WR. Next WR in has a 10 yard cushion by the Safety. OLB at top of the screen goes on a blitz and the MLB picks up the inside most receiver on that side coming across the middle. OLB at the bottom of the screen follows Drake out of the backfield into the flats. Howard has a CB man up on him. The other Safety is completely out of the picture for a few seconds. OJ makes a cut 4 yds into the route and when AJ sees the flow of the D he lays the ball right behind the OLB with a bead on Drake. OJ catches the ball at the first down line. His CB is about a yard deeper than he is but about 3 to 4 yards behind his cut to the outside of the field. The Safety on that side of the field still isn't on the screen. The Safety and CB on OJ's side are the only players deeper than he is at this point. By the time the deep Safety comes on screen the CB is now outside the hashes behind OJ while he's in the middle of the field, the Safety is in the middle of the field as well but is 6 yards deeper than OJ with hips are turned and he's running in the same direction OJ is. OJ just flat out runs him.

Folks, this kid is dangerous. VERY DANGEROUS! I'm not sure there's a linebacker not wearing Crimson that could stay with him. Apparently LSU has a couple of DB's who didn't.
 

cbi1972

Hall of Fame
Nov 8, 2005
18,139
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I have never seen such a big man with such speed.
Defenders are going to have to take longer angles than they're used to taking against tight ends.
 

rgw

Suspended
Sep 15, 2003
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We've had success in working matchups by splitting TEs out as WRs but it had kinda ran its course. People know to expect something attacking the interior defense with the true WRs or a bubble screen. Howard is a new element because he is a legitimate perimeter threat unlike Vogler, Smelley, Peek, etc.
 

B1GTide

TideFans Legend
Apr 13, 2012
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And his blocking is very improved - he looked great sealing the edges against LSU.
 

TiderJack

Hall of Fame
Jul 9, 2010
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And his blocking is very improved - he looked great sealing the edges against LSU.
I agree. In re-watching the game I noticed he sealed the edge on several of TJ and Kenyan runs, not just get in the way but good fundamental positioning. OJ will be our first really great NFL TE (Gronk, Graham, Gates kind of good) since Ozzie.
 

rickvox79

All-SEC
Dec 11, 2008
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I'm jumping the gun here big time because he still has two more years left at Alabama, but I really could see him going 1st-2nd round before it is all said and done. The TE position is so important in the NFL now and if you have a guy that has his potential, speed, size, blocking ability, I think it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get drafted high one day.
 

KrAzY3

Hall of Fame
Jan 18, 2006
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I had extremely high expectations in regards to Howard coming into the season, and they kind of went by the wayside as the season progressed. I felt like he could open an entirely new dimension for the offense. Well, that still seems possible.

If he really gets going, he'll take this offense to the next level. We worry about how to defend a running quarterback with a good arm and all that, well how do you defend Alabama when you add in a guy like Howard if he's playing up to his potential?
 

TiderJack

Hall of Fame
Jul 9, 2010
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I'm jumping the gun here big time because he still has two more years left at Alabama, but I really could see him going 1st-2nd round before it is all said and done. The TE position is so important in the NFL now and if you have a guy that has his potential, speed, size, blocking ability, I think it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get drafted high one day.
I don't think you are jumping the gun at all. Like you said, the TE position in the NFL has transformed and OJ is the future.
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
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He keeps lowering it. Originally, he had a 4.59, still very fast for a big guy, but 4.49 is just unbelievable. He could probably outrun every single DB they have. That kind of speed causes DBs, particularly safeties, who aren't anything like that fast, to take bad angles on him, even when they should be able to tackle him. I compare him to Matt Jones and a lot of others have also. He doesn't look all that fast with those huge strides and then, boom!, he's by you. It reminded me of Trent outsprinting the entire UT backfield, while Boom jumped up and down yelling "He can't be that fast!" (I read lips pretty well...) :)
 

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