Former Ohio State Quarterback Will Howard Had His Heart Set On Going To One Nfl Franchise

It was thought to be a foregone conclusion that Ohio State quarterback Will Howard did enough during the run to a College Football Playoff national championship to improve his NFL draft stock to the point where he would be selected when all the festivities went down in Green Bay.

That proved to be true, but Howard went a little later than most draft analysts anticipated, finally hearing his name called during the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of all the places to go, Howard could have landed somewhere much worse than in Pittsburgh, where there is a shot at playing time for an organization that seems to get the most out of its picks more often than not.

But where did Howard really want to go? With 32 teams in the NFL, he had to have a preference of where he would land for how he wanted to start his career. He is a Pennsylvania native (albeit around Philadelphia), so you had to believe playing for the hometown state is a good thing, no?

Well, you don't really have to wonder because Howard said as much when he appeared with former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on his podcast to talk about the former Buckeye being drafted by the Black and Gold.

"I was begging for the Steelers to pick me," Howard said. "When you're going through the draft process -- especially as a quarterback -- you know there are a couple of teams ... you know there are most likely a couple of teams that are going to pick you ... but there was just something deep inside me that wanted to be a Steeler.

"I'm just happy to be in my home state, close to Columbus, close to my family,: Howard continued. "My girlfriend went to Miami of Ohio -- so we're staying close to home and everyone in the organization -- I met with them at the combine, I met with them before Pro Day, there was just something about it that stuck with me."

WATCH: Will Howard tells Ben Roethlisberger he was begging to be drafted by the Steelers.

Howard had one of the most viral moments of the draft, crying in his mother’s arms after finally being drafted in the 6th round. pic.twitter.com/kd632PqYdt

— OutKick (@Outkick) May 7, 2025

One thing about Howard is that he'll endear himself with the fans. He did it by the way he conducted himself and what he said in Columbus, and there's little doubt he'll do the same with Pittsburgh fans. And while some might say that it's just knowing what to say, if you know him, you know what he says and how he acts is very genuine.

Howard has an uphill climb to make an instant impact in Pittsburgh, but he'll have plenty of people rooting for him, including Steeler Nation. You can bank on that.

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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State QB Will Howard had heart set on one NFL franchise