Howard attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where he was the city co-player of the year in 1978.
He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL players.
In 1989, his playing time was limited because there were conditional draft picks attached to the Vikings traded players and the Dallas Cowboys wanted the selections instead of keeping Howard and the others.
Head coach Jimmy Johnson eventually had second thoughts on the February 1 deadline and traded three future draft choices (third-round and tenth-round in 1990 and a third-round in 1991) to the Vikings for the right to retain the original full package of draft choices, plus Howard, Issiac Holt and Jesse Solomon.
He shared the strongside linebacker position with Jack Del Rio in the final eight games, playing in the second and fourth quarters.
He was released on July 24, 1993, after having a difference of opinion about his sprained toe with new head coach Bill Parcells.