The year 1958 was a red letter one for Howard. During halftime of the Spring Game, Howard, his staff and secretaries were given an appreciation day. Howard received a 1958 car while other staff members were presented gifts. That summer Howard and three members of his staff were given a trip to Europe by the Department of Defense to conduct clinics for the Armed Forces in Germany.
Then came the football season and the Tigers presented Howard an 8-2 season, which led to the Sugar Bowl invitation. One of these 1958 wins was the l00th of Howard's coaching career. That came against the late Jim Tatum of North Carolina, a coach Howard had never beaten. And, the Tigers had to come from behind three times to win, 26-21.
Howard was named Southern Conference Coach-of-the-Year in l948. In 1959 he was named Atlantic Coast Conference Coach-of-the-Year and was accorded the honor again in 1966. His teams won ACC championships six times (1956-58-59-65-66-67)in the first 15 years of the conference. The Tigers were co-champions in 1965. He guided Clemson to the Southern Conference crown in 1940 and 1948.
Howard was born at Barlow Bend, Ala. (three wagon greasin's from Mobile), March 25,1909. He spent his early days on the farm playing mostly cow pasture baseball because there were not enough boys around the community for a football team. Howard says he left Barlow Bend walking barefoot on a barbed wire fence with a wildcat under each arm.
He graduated from Murphy High School in Mobile where he played football, baseball and basketball and served as president of both the junior and senior classes.
After finishing at Murphy, Howard entered the University of Alabama on an academic scholarship provided by the Birmingham News in the fall of 1927, and the 185 pounder played reserve guard his sophomore year. During his junior year he started every game but two, as an ankle injury sidelined him for the two games he missed. Again his senior year he was a regular.
Howard was president of the freshman class at Alabama, was member of Blue Key and president of the "A" Club.
After coming to Clemson, he married the former Anna Tribble of Anderson, SC, (who died May 15, 1996) on August 23, 1933. They were the parents of a daughter, Alice (Mrs. Robert McClure of Gastonia, NC) and a son, Jimmy, of Pendleton. The Howards also had three grandchildren and one great grandchild. |
