Coming off a breakout junior season where he led the team in tackles for losses and sacks, Harlan County linebacker Carter Howard was busy building his strength and preparing for an even bigger senior campaign.
That was until Howard fell ill with a multitude of ailments that landed him in the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital for a week, including three days he spent unconscious in the intensive care unit. Workouts and preparation for football were replaced by survival.
“I had an asthma attack and my lung collapsed. I had strep throat and rhino virus all in one,” said Howard as he reflected back to the winter on his time at the hospital. “I was on ICU (on a ventilator) for three days and woke up on the fourth day. The doctor released me two days after I woke up in ICU.”
Howard has slowly worked his way back and looked much like his old self during the opening week of practice at Coal Miners Memorial Stadium. He wants to get back to where he was a year ago when he posted 71 tackles, including 15 for losses and five sacks (both team highs) as the Bears finished the regular season at 4-6 before falling to Johnson Central in the first round of the 4A playoffs.
“I just went to work and got stronger and faster. (Trainer) Brandon Bell helped me out a lot,” Howard said. “I got comfortable out here working with my teammates and they also helped me have success. It knocked me out for a couple of weeks, but I was ready to get back to work.”
“Carter led us in sacks and was able to make a lot of big plays on defense,” Harlan County coach Amos McCreary said. “I hope he can have a big season. We’re going to try to turn him loose more. He has a knack for making plays on defense.”
Howard may shift inside more at tackle in the Bears’ three-man front.
“We’re going to move him around more and let him make some plays,” McCreary said. “He wants to be Lawrence Taylor, so we’re going to try and let him be Lawrence Taylor for us.”
McCreary said several others on defense will have to step up to give Howard the opportunity to move around and find the best matchup
“We hope Bryan Howard can play that outside linebacker for us and we can put Carter down (at tackle) on some plays,” McCreary said.
A former standout linebacker himself in his Evarts playing days, McCreary says Howard must take on a leadership role, especially with Josh Sergent graduating after leading the team in tackles last year.
“We need for Carter to be a leader on defense. He has to help some of these guys who haven’t played as much as him,” McCreary said. “He also has to be aggressive every play. We’re not going to play him a lot on offense, so he can play every down on defense like it’s his last one. I think he will be the first to admit he has to play that way. If he does, he will be hard to handle.”
Howard has set high goals for himself as the Bears prepare for their season opener at Middlesboro on Aug. 19.
“I know I can improve on what I did last year. I’ve been working out every day, even after practice,” Howard said. “My goal is to be the best linebacker in the region this year.”
