Bug Howard

Johnathan “Bug” Howard, born on November 28, 1994, has had a fruitful career in American football, mainly as a tight end. He attended Wilcox County High School in Rochelle, Georgia, showing early tendencies for a successful football career.

The nickname “Bug” was lovingly bestowed upon him by his grandmother during his toddler years, a name that stuck with him throughout his life and professional journey. After his high school career, he went on to build an exceptional record at the University of North Carolina, where he played college football.

Despite being a freshman, Howard quickly made a name for himself by catching 22 passes in his first season. His junior year saw him scoring the first touchdown of the 2015 college football season against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Notably, the touchdown was facilitated by a pass from quarterback Marquise Williams, highlighting the seamless teamwork that existed among the players.

Throughout his four years at UNC, Howard played in 46 games. He caught 146 passes, raking in a substantial total of 2,048 yards, and scored an impressive 18 touchdowns. His performance was all the more remarkable given that he had only four dropped passes during his four seasons at UNC.

Despite not being selected in the 2017 NFL draft, Howard’s skills did not go unnoticed. The Indianapolis Colts recognized his potential and brought him on board as a free agent. However, at the end of the 2017 preseason, he was waived by the Colts. Unable to hold him back, the Cleveland Browns signed Howard to their practice squad in September 2017, later signing a reserve/future contract with him at the beginning of 2018. However, April 2018 saw him being waived once again.

Not one to stay static, Howard moved on to sign with the Carolina Panthers in May 2018, only to be waived again by the end of August. Undeterred, Howard joined the Atlanta Legends of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) for the 2019 season.

Following the folding of AAF operations, the Denver Broncos recognized Howard’s potential and signed him on in May 2019, post a mini-camp tryout. An unexpected setback occurred when he was placed on injured reserve in August 2019, and subsequently waived from injured reserve with an injury settlement by the end of August.

Howard persevered and rejoined the Broncos as a practice squad member in December 2019. Toppling barriers, he began the new year by signing a reserve/future contract with the Broncos. Unfortunately, he was again waived in April 2020.

Continuing his career journey, Howard joined the Alphas of The Spring League in its 2020 Fall season. Continuing his professional journey, Howard signed for the practice squad of the Jacksonville Jaguars in December 2020. However, by January 2021, his contract had not been extended past the season.

In July 2021, Howard’s football journey led him to sign with the Buffalo Bills, only to be waived once again in August. His talent was recognized by the Philadelphia Stars who drafted Howard in the 18th round of the 2022 USFL draft.

Due to unforeseeable circumstances, Howard was placed on the “did not report” list in April but joined the team for training camp three days later and eventually, secured a contract with the team in early April.

By July 2022, Howard had signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unfortunately, a setback occurred when he was waived/injured in late August and placed on injured reserve. Nevertheless, Howard persevered, signing up for a second stint with the Stars in February 2023, only to be shifted to the team’s inactive list a month later – the same year when the XFL and USFL merged to create the United Football League (UFL).