With the Heisman Trophy being announced Saturday, I thought I would share my favorite Heisman story from my years on the college beat in the late 80s and early 90s.
I covered Desmond Howard’s final home game at Michigan in 1991 when he capped a punt return for a touchdown by striking the Heisman pose in the endzone. The snapshot will endure forever.
Yet what I remember most is what happened the next day. On a quiet Sunday, Howard, the toast of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the entire country, met me for lunch at a hotel.
The Michigan sports information department set up the interview. I was stunned that he agreed, given all the commotion. Surely, he had better things to do (like sleep) than have lunch with me on the day after his signature game against Ohio State.
“No, he’ll be there,” I was told.
Sure enough, Howard showed up, unescorted.
We sat in a corner table, and I remember the startled reaction from the waitress when she realized she was serving the soon-to-be Heisman Trophy winner.
Howard and I chatted for about 90 minutes. He was an uncommon young man back then.
Looking back, I wonder if a reporter would get that same kind of access in today’s media age. Somehow, I doubt it.
I went back and found the Chicago Tribune story I did from that memorable interview.
For the better part of 90 minutes over lunch, the conversation didn`t focus on football. Rather, the young University of Michigan student preferred to talk about his encounter with a famous sociologist, black heritage, his talks at juvenile homes, his desire to become a Ph.D., among his other areas of interest that are far away from the field.
It`s the other side of Michigan wide receiver Desmond Howard, the side people didn`t care about when he was sitting in the restaurant. A steady stream of autograph seekers, at least 10, visited the table, and they didn`t want to know Howard`s views on society.
“Great punt return against Ohio State, Desmond.“
“You`re amazing to watch, Desmond.“
“I don`t know much about sports, but my son would kill me if I didn`t get your autograph, Desmond.“
Some people were courteous, and some were rude. And Howard`s star only is beginning to rise. It`s little wonder that Michael Jordan can`t go out in public.
Howard, though, didn`t seem to mind. After all, if he weren`t a star, he`d be just another student.
But, he cautions, don`t stereotype him as just being another football player. There`s much more to Desmond Howard than reinventing thrills in the open field.
“Being a football player is a part of me,“ he said. “But it`s not the biggest part of me.“
Later I wrote:
“You don`t learn about history by just reading books,“ Howard said.
“They don`t teach you that stuff in school. I like to seek out knowledge. Being a scholar has been very rewarding. I want to investigate things for myself.“
Toward that end, Howard tells of seeking out Harry Edwards, the noted sociologist and black leader. As a freshman, Howard heard Edwards speak, and something registered.
So much so, that when Howard was visiting a friend in California, he made him drive up to the University of California-Berkeley, where Edwards teaches, to meet him. Howard didn`t have an appointment; he just showed up on his doorstep.
“I heard him say some things that I hadn`t heard before,“ Howard said.
“I was interested in all the things he`d been through. I wanted to meet him.“
Howard also foreshadowed what he wanted to do after football.
Beyond football, Howard wants a career as a public speaker. That`s why he`s majoring in communications.
“I`ve been around a lot of college professors who don`t have the ability to hold an audience,“ Howard said. “That`s where the communications comes into play. I want to be an effective speaker.“