Georgia Tech running back Jerry Howard will use his final season of eligibility elsewhere. The senior from Rock Hill, S.C., announced Tuesday that he will leave Tech as a grad transfer upon his expected graduation this spring. While he played four seasons with the Yellow Jackets, he will take advantage of the extra season of eligibility granted to all fall-sports athletes.
Howard enrolled in 2017 to play B-back for former coach Paul Johnson. He ran for 175 yards as a freshman and pounded out 564 yards with five rushing touchdowns as a sophomore in 2018, when he started seven games. As a junior, he was a backup to Jordan Mason and totaled 102 rushing yards with one start, appearing in all 12 games. He distinguished himself on special teams, blocking two punts. Before the season, coach Geoff Collins awarded him a single-digit jersey (No. 5), symbolic of his leadership and commitment to the team.
He moved to linebacker in the spring of 2020 and continued his strong special-teams play. Midway through the season, he moved back to running back. He finished the season with three carries for 17 yards and also four tackles. Over his four seasons, he appeared in 44 games (two shy of the maximum), including the past 41 in a row, which was the team’s longest active streak at season’s end. In Collins’ two seasons, Howard was named a game captain on four occasions.
In a statement posted to his social-media accounts, Howard thanked Johnson and former offensive line coach Mike Sewak for recruiting him to Tech and “changing my life for the better.” He thanked the current staff, academic coordinators, and credited Collins and running backs coach Tashard Choice for pushing him “to become a better man and also a better football player. I will forever be grateful and keep the bonds that have been built over the years.”
