Howard attended Dillard High School where he lettered in basketball, football and track, specializing in the 100 and 200 yard dash.
He accepted a basketball scholarship from Austin Peay University, where he averaged 12.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game during three varsity seasons (1972–73 through 1974–75).
Although Howard did not play football at Austin Peay University, the Dallas Cowboys saw a tremendous athlete and signed him to an undrafted free agent contract in 1975.
He played primarily on special teams during the regular season, and his only statistical contributions were a pair of kickoff returns for 51 total yards.
A late turnover by the Steelers gave the Cowboys a shot to win the game at the end, and Howard was again involved on a last-second Hail Mary pass by Staubach, but he could not make the catch.