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Former Lobo Howard drafted by Rams

https://www.news-journal.com/etvarsity/former-lobo-howard-drafted-by-rams/article_be462448-4b36-11e8-963e-dbf5fa1eba58.html

Travin Howard, in his own words, has always been an underdog, something he embraced and worked to overcome.

It paid off on Saturday.

Howard, a former Longview Lobo who went on to a standout career at TCU, was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft on Saturday in Arlington.

Howard was a week away from signing with UT-San Antonio out of high school before receiving an offer and signing with TCU.

“It seems like I was always the underdog, always the guy that had to prove myself,” Howard said Saturday. “I embraced that.

“I’m here now and it doesn’t matter how I got here at the end of the day. That’s the same mentality I’m going to keep.”

Howard wrapped up his senior season with the Horned Frogs, where he left Fort Worth as the all-time leading tackler under head coach Gary Patterson.

An All-Big 12 selection during his junior and senior seasons at TCU, Howard is the first player in program history to lead the lead in tackles for three-straight seasons.

After his collegiate career finished, Howard, the 231st pick overall, went to work and stayed patient.

“I just kept working, did a lot on the track and it was a long wait getting ready for this weekend,” Howard said. “It was a great feeling when I got the call and it was a big weight lifted off my shoulders.

“I expected to go a little earlier but hey, everything happens for a reason.”

Howard played safety as a freshman for TCU before making the move to linebacker for the remainder of his career.

“That’s how I tried to sell myself, just being a versatile player,” Howard said. “I was showing them that I was able to play a few different positions.”

With the wait game on, Howard returned to his grandma’s house in Longview to follow the draft, a moment he said he’ll never forget.

“It was crazy,” Howard said. “I answered the phone, talked with the coaches and when I hung up, everyone went silent.

“I told them who it was and where I was going and everyone went berserk, everyone was lit. It was an emotional moment. I can’t even describe it.”

Howard is the fourth Longview Lobo in the NFL, joining Trent Williams and Pete Robertson of the Washington Redskins and Chris Ivory of the Buffalo Bills.

“It’s a family,” Howard said. “Lobo football means a lot and helped get us all here.

“There’s a few in the league and there’s more to come.”

Fellow East Texans drafted this weekend were Keke Coutee (Lufkin, 4th round, Houston Texans) and Dylan Cantrell (Whitehouse, 6th round, Los Angeles Chargers).