The Rose Bowl confetti had fallen, the trophy presentation was underway and all Will Howard wanted to do was celebrate with his teammates.
But as the Buckeyes quarterback made his way to the makeshift stage just moments after Ohio State dominated top-ranked Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, a Rose Bowl official stopped him. The portable platform, packed with Howard’s teammates and coaches, had already reached its weight capacity. No room for Howard, who’d just thrown for 319 yards and three touchdowns.
“His teammates are like, ‘Hey, that’s the quarterback for God’s sake!’” Mike Milano, who coached Howard at Downingtown West (Pa.) High, said of a video clip that made the rounds on social media. “(But) that’s kind of how it’s gone, right? That’s kind of how it’s gone.”
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Riley Leonard and Will Howard were 3-star recruits. Now they’re playing for the national title