Indianapolis, IN – The NCAA announced Friday that Austin Peay State University (APSU) student-athlete Sam Howard has accepted an appointment to the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee Student-Athlete Connection Group.
“First and foremost, I would like to thank Dr. Kristal McGreggor [APSU Assistant Director of Athletics for Student-Athlete Success] for nominating me for this opportunity,” said Howard. “Also, I wouldn’t be in this moment without God’s grace and the love and support of my loving family, friends, teammates, and coaches. There were sacrifices made for me to get here, and I have those people to thank.”
“Being a part of this group will allow me to accompany other student-athletes to help make an impact around the country. I feel like God has a calling on my life to do this and it’s an honor to be a part of this group.”
Howard’s term of service on the Student-Athlete Connection Group (SACG) will begin immediately and continue through June 30th, 2024. The SACG features 52 current football student-athletes, representing every conference and independent at the FBS and FCS level. In the past, the SACG’s work has helped create changes in the recruiting calendar and saw the number of games to retain redshirt status increased to four games without taking away a year of eligibility.
Student-athletes selected to the committee can serve up to two years and meet quarterly to discuss issues and provide feedback to the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee.
“I am incredibly proud of Sam for his willingness to serve his fellow student-athletes through the I Football Oversight Committee Student-Athlete Connection Group,” said Austin Peay State University Vice President and Athletics Director Gerald Harrison. “Sam is the embodiment of the ‘Total Gov Concept’ and will be an incredible representative not just for Austin Peay State University but for all football student-athletes around the country.”
Howard, who was one of two NCAA student-athletes to receive the prestigious Accelerating Academic Success Program (AASP) Career Development Award this summer, is a health and human performance major with a sports and wellness specialist concentration and a 3.177 cumulative GPA. Howard is interested in pursuing a career in college athletics in a director of player development role.
On the field, Howard is enjoying a breakout season at linebacker for the Governors and currently ranks 18th in the FCS and leads the United Athletic Conference with 10.3 tackles per game this season. Howard opened the season with 10 tackles at Southern Illinois and 13 tackles at Tennessee, making him the first APSU Gov with back-to-back double-digit tackle games since Shamari Simmons in the final two games of the 2022 season.
