#4 Jamie Howard Season 2023
1992 USA Today Fabulous Freshman Team “Best of Rest”
Street & Smith’s SEC Player of the Week (vs. Arkansas, 1994)
CAREER
Finished his career as the third-leading passer in LSU history with 6,158 yards and second in career touchdown passes with 34 … Returned for his senior season as the Tigers’ starting quarterback after sitting out the summer from the Atlanta Braves’ organization … Captured the imagination of Tiger fans his freshman year when he came on late in the Auburn game to spur a dramatic rally that fell just short … Started six games played in eight as a freshman, started 10 games as a sophomore, nine his junior year and seven as a senior … A member of the Atlanta Braves organization, he played in the Braves’ minor leagues after his freshman and sophomore seasons, but opted to stay out of baseball in the summer of 1995 to prepare for his senior year of football … His last stint in professional baseball was with Macon (Class A) in the summer of ’94 … Did not redshirt true freshman season.
SENIOR SEASON (1995)
Played in seven games, completing 112 of 212 passes for 1,493 yards and nine touchdowns … Was having outstanding senior season until sidelined by a bruised shoulder (right arm) during the Florida game … Subsequently missed Kentucky and North Texas games … Returned for game No. 9 vs. Alabama, but left in the fourth quarter when he re-injured his shoulder … Missed Ole Miss and Arkansas games with shoulder injury … Tied school record with four TD passes vs. Rice’ also threw for career high 356 yards vs. Tice … Became the first Tiger QB to pass for more than 300 on less than 30 attempts vs. Rice … His 356 yards vs. Rice is the 5th highest yardage total in LSU history … Moved into 3rd place in total career offense at LSU during Rice game … Completed 12 of 17 passes for 237 yards and one TD in win over Mississippi State … The TD pass was a 52-yarder to WR Eddie Kennison … Completed 21 of 38 passes with one TD in loss at Texas A&M … Threw 98 straight passes without interception to open the season before being picked off in the 2nd quarter of the Auburn game, the 3rd game of the year … Was 19-31 with one TD in 12-6 victory over Auburn … Completed 18 of 36 passes for 271 yards against South Carolina … Came back to throw the game-tying TD to Sheddrick Wilson with 1:08 to go against South Carolina after being knocked unconscious in the fourth quarter … Completed 17 of 45 passes for 215 yards and one TD against Florida … Left Florida game early in the fourth quarter with bruised shoulder … After the 1995 season, he was awarded the Butch Duhe Award by the LSU coaching staff, given periodically to the player “whose character and contributions to LSU football and to the University most personify the All-America youth of today.” … The award was named in memory of LSU QB Butch Duhe, a 1969 letterman who died just prior to the 1970 season … Opted to stay in Baton Rouge summer before his senior year to concentrate on football instead of playing minor league baseball in the Braves’ organization.
JUNIOR SEASON (1994)
Played in all 11 games at quarterback and started nine … Hit on 140 of 274 passes for 1,997 yards and 13 TDs during ’94 season … Became the 4th Tiger QB to throw for 4,000 yards in a career … Started all games except for Florida and Ole Miss … Completed 23 of 43 attempts for 314 yards and 2 TDs vs. Southern Miss; the 2nd most passing yards in a game in his career … Named Street & Smith’s Sports Weekly’s SEC Offensive Player of the Week for his outstanding game against Arkansas in season finale when he hit on 14 of 24 passes for 223 yards and two TDs … Ranked No. 4 in the SEC and No. 48 in the NCAA in total offense with an average of 176.7 yards per game … Hit on 14 of 19 passes for 179 yards and two TDs at Tulane … 18 of 41 for 280 yards and one TD at Auburn … 14 of 27 for 237 yards and two TDs in win over Mississippi State … 16 of 28 for 226 yards with no TDs and one interception in loss to Texas A&M … 81-yard pass to Brett Bech at Ole Miss was longest pass of career and the 4th-longest in the SEC in 1994 … Had a 22-yard scramble vs. Texas A&M, the longest run in his career … 12 of 19 for 116 yards and one TD at Florida … Came on in 2nd quarter and played most of the game … Came in early in 2nd quarter at Ole Miss and completed 14 of 31 passes for 247 yards and two TDs.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (1993)
The Tigers’ starting quarterback in 1993, he played in 10 games and started all 10 … Saw limited action vs. Tulane and did not play in final game against Arkansas due to injury … Completed 106 of 248 passes for 1,319 yards, 7 touchdowns and 12 interceptions … Best game came in win over Mississippi State when he completed 21 of 39 passes for 248 yards and one touchdown in leading the Tigers to an 18-16 win over the Bulldogs in Starkville … Also topped the 200-yard mark in victory over Utah State when he completed 10 of 20 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown … Threw for two TDs in loss at Tennessee … Longest pass was 74-yard touchdown strike to Eddie Kennison vs. Utah State, the longest play of any kind for the Tigers in 1993 … Threw 36 passes without an interception vs. Auburn.
FRESHMAN SEASON (1992)
Spurred two incredible 4th quarter rallies which fell just short at Auburn and Florida: (1) electrified Jordan-Hare Stadium crowd by spurring 21-point comeback in 4th quarter; (2) drove LSU length of field at Florida late in final period, then had potential tying 4th down pass knocked down in end zone … Started Colorado State, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Alabama games … Did not play vs. Tulane due to suspension … On the season, completed 101 of 200 passes for 1,349 yards, five TDs and 13 interceptions … Completed 8 of 18 for 151 yards and two TDs including 55-yard TD toss to Scott Ray in first college game at Auburn … 20 of 39 for 339 yards, 2 TDs at Florida, the 6th best passing game in LSU history … Was 16 of 23 for 218 yards and one TD vs. Kentucky … First college start vs. Colorado State (7 of 17 for 86 yards) … First true freshman to start at QB for LSU since Steve Ensminger in 1976 … Was 10 of 23 for 124 yards vs. Tennessee … 14 of 25 for 162 yards vs. Alabama … Over 100 yards passing in 7 of 8 games he played … True freshman who was Tigers’ first commitment of 1992 signing class … Fine baseball pitcher who is under contract with Braves and reported to camp after last final exam in spring.
HIGH SCHOOL
Stellar athlete who excelled at both football and baseball … Lettered three times as quarterback in football for head coach Jim Hightower … Lettered four times in baseball as pitcher, first baseman and catcher for head coach Jay O’Conner … Lettered twice in track in sprints and once in basketball as a forward … Named District MVP, All-Parish MVP, All-Acadiana MVP and Coaches All-State as senior … Named District MVP, All-Parish MVP and All-State Honorable Mention his junior year … In senior season, completed 137 passes in 259 attempts for 2,279 yards and 25 TDs … Rushed for 583 yards on 65 carries for 9 TDs … In career, completed 281 of 560 passes for 5,055 yards and 54 TDs … Rushed 110 times for 915 yards and 20 TDs … Drafted in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves as a pitcher … Throws consistently in the upper 80s and low 90s.
PERSONAL
Full name is James Walker Howard III … Born December 7, 1973 in Laurel, Miss. … Parents are Jimmy and Dana’ Howard and has two brothers (Patrick and Hunter).