2023 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Zach Howard, DT, Northwest Missouri State

• Name: Zach Howard
• Height: 6’3”
• Weight: 300 lbs.
• Position: DT
• College: Northwest Missouri State University
• Twitter: zhoward94
• Instagram: zachary.luke.howard

Talk about your experience as a student. What is your major/minor? Did you participate in any other activities or campus organizations other than football?
I am a Physical Education Major. I have been part of the PE club on campus as well as a Leader in Student Mobilization. My GPA is solid, and I pride myself in doing well in the classroom. I want to represent myself as well as the football team within the classroom on campus.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?
When I asked Sam Phillips he said, “Trustworthy, I can always trust you to lead, do your job, and go the extra mile.”

Walker Graves said, “High Character, High drive, and very self-motivated.”

Kobe Clayborne’s response was, “I don’t know if you would consider it selfless, a servant, caring, etc. I feel like it’s all those combined into one. Why I say that is because of how you put everyone in the DL room above yourself. You go above and beyond to help everyone out. Anytime someone asks you to do extra, you never hesitate to say yes and a lot of times you’re the one that initiates doing the extra stuff so others can learn.”

Drake Kinsella says, “Ambitious.”

What kind of role do you see yourself in on the team? What scheme and/or position suits your skill set?
The role I see myself on my team currently is the leader that is willing to get down and dirty when times get tough, yet more importantly have fun and make practices and games enjoyable. There is a balance to staying focused and having a ton of fun. 

At the next level, the best position for me to play is a 5 tech all the way down to a 1. Anywhere in between the tackles will be where I succeed the most. I am willing to put on weight. I have played at weights ranging from 285 to 322 in my college career. 

The scheme I would naturally transition to the best is a scheme of a gap and a half player. We play a gap and a half at Northwest. Yet, any scheme where I can just get off the ball and read and react would be the best for my skill set. At Northwest, we read visual and pressure keys and that tells us where to put our hands, and I am very successful in doing so. I am naturally a better run defender although I have put in a ton of work to get to a spot where my pass rush is also very good.

I would also market myself as a player that is smart enough to learn quickly and adaptable enough to be able to play in multiple systems.

Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?

The best O-line I have ever played against is the 2021 Ferris State O-line. The best athlete I have played against is TJ Davis (QB) from University of Nebraska Kearney.

Which one of your teammates impresses you the most?

Elijah Green. His relentless effort never fails, and he doesn’t let smaller stature stop him. His character off the field and balance between caring about the game and pouring into his teammates lives is remarkable.

Sam Roberts has been the most impressive teammate on the field. He was just phenomenal to watch play and to play with. He is with the New England Patriots for a reason. Dude is a stud along with being one of the humblest guys I know.

Describe a time in your life when you were able to overcome a struggle.

I tore my labrum in my shoulder my freshman year of college football. I played with it torn my freshman and sophomore year. It would slide in and out, and yet I didn’t miss a game during that stretch. The reason to play and not have surgery wasn’t because I was tougher than anyone else, but simply because I wanted to play football, get better and not let down my teammates. So, I played and then had surgery after the sophomore season, had 8 anchors put in the shoulder and it is now fully recovered.

If you didn’t play football, what other sport would you play?

Baseball. Easy. I absolutely loved to play baseball. Other than getting a sack in front of a packed house on Saturdays, hitting walk off bombs or throwing someone out on the bases is some of the few feelings in life that you cannot duplicate. 

What is something that you are most proud of? What would you say is your biggest achievement so far?

I am most proud of the people and organizations I am a part of or associated with. When I do something, I want to represent them well. So, currently I am proud to be a Bearcat, to wear the paw and to represent an historic D-line. 

My biggest achievement so far would have to either be getting the MoShape Education Major of the Year for Northwest Missouri State, or being a 2-time captain at Northwest Missouri State. 

Describe one of the most memorable plays of your collegiate career.

I have two.

The first is from my sophomore year when we were playing UCM at home. I was playing d-end and Sam Roberts was playing inside me. We ran an ET stunt, and when I came underneath it wasn’t clear. I ran straight into the guard. I then pried open his outside shoulder, ripped through and finished with a sack.

The second was this past season (2021) when we played University Nebraska Kearney. It was early in the game, and they were around midfield. They were going for it on 4th and 1. The splits of the O-line just seemed tighter, so I thought they were going to try to shove it down the middle. We got off the ball well, played at the O-lines heal line. The ball starts to drift toward the edge. Elijah Green slows him down, and I disengage off my guy, wrap up the RB and drive my feet, all while multiple guys pile on top to stop him. We get up and the place is going crazy, the sideline is going crazy, and fans are jumping up and down. It was amazing.

Do you have a favorite athlete or professional team? Is there a player that you model your game after?

My favorite athletes are Aaron Donald and Jeffery Simmons. As far as modeling games off of guys, I don’t have one guy that I try to copy. I have taken different parts of different peoples’ games to add to my style of play. Anytime I tried to mimic someone’s game completely I was thinking too hard, and people’s bodies are just different. So, what works for Fletcher Cox sometimes doesn’t work for me, and the same goes for Aaron Donald or JJ Watt. But I can take Aaron’s ability to get off the ball faster than everyone and work on my get off and understand the importance of the first few steps. I can take notes on Jeffery Simmons and how he controls blocks inside during the run and makes plays up the middle. Additionally, I can watch his motor churn when the ball is off on short passes and such. Through watching multiple guys, I can piece together things that they do well that I can do, and become the best player I can be. 

My favorite professional team would be the Chiefs. Growing up in Missouri, we always cheered for them, the first Chiefs memory I had was watching games when Trent Green was the QB. 

Who is your favorite music artist? What gets you pumped before a game?

Favorite artist would be either Maverick City Music or KB.

Yet, before games I don’t listen to music to get me pumped. I have done this before, and I get pumped too early. I just naturally am super excited to play football. So, I usually listen to Disney music or classical or even Adele/Ed Sheeran style because I need to calm down. When it’s game time, I will be cranked!

What is your favorite comfort food?

Pizza. Give me a pizza on a Sunday afternoon watching some football games, and I am a happy man. 

Do you have a favorite movie, TV show or actor?

My favorite TV show is Friends. My favorite movie has changed although it’s between Gladiator, Lion King (The Original) or Remember the Titans. If Denzel Washington is in a movie, I will watch it. 

What do you do in your spare time? Do you have any hobbies? Any secret talents?

I love to read. I read scripture, some books on psychology and teamwork as well as some fictional books. I like to play pickup basketball, golf, and some sand volleyball. No secret talents that I know of but I will let you know if I find one. 

Why do you play football? Who or what motivates you the most?

I play football for two reasons. The first reason is because as a kid I had fun playing, and I still enjoy the heck out of it. It’s just such a phenomenal game, and I love the fact that I am continuing to become better. I’m not at my best as a player yet. Being able to learn and get better excites me.

The second reason is that football gives me an outlet to share my life with others as well as gives me a platform to live for Christ and honor Him through a gift that He has given me. I don’t know how to do it another way in this season of life.