Video: Pup Howard not afraid to fail while chasing goals
Each year across the country, there’s a group of freshmen on each team that the expectations seem to be a little higher for. For this year’s Gamecocks team, linebacker Grayson ‘Pup’ Howard is one of those guys. A challenge he’s ready to tackle head-on.
“It’s just gonna be day-by-day and just getting better. You can’t be afraid of the fire,” said Howard, at South Carolina’s media day. “You have to throw yourself in and get burned a little bit so that when it comes time for September 2nd, there’s no mistakes on the field and I’m producing like I want to produce.”
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If it sounds like Howard is comfortable it’s because he’s essentially been with the Gamecocks since last December. Unlike any other newcomer on this year’s team, Howard began practicing with South Carolina during bowl practices of last year. An NCAA rule that few early enrollees each year are able to take advantage of.
“I’m very comfortable going into fall camp. I’m really relaxed and not worried about it. I’ve been here since (Gator) Bowl practices so I’ve seen bowl practice, in-season practice, and spring practice.”
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Maybe that’s why there’s such high expectations for the 6-4, 241-pound true freshman to make an immediate impact. That combined with the fact that the former four-star prospect was rated the 19th linebacker for the 2023 class by On3.
“I know the end goal so it’s just day-by-day. It also starts with how I was raised by my father and my high school coaches. In high school, there was a lot of pressure (on me) for sure. I was playing as a freshman. Then, there was a coaching change and I had to play a new position and become a leader in the tenth grade. Pressure has been around me forever so I’m able to handle it.”
