With one week remaining until the NFL Draft, former Ball State safety Joshua Howard got a final chance to make an impression for a pro team.
Howard had a two-hour workout at the Detroit Lions Practice Complex on Wednesday in front of the team's coaching staff and front office. He got an invite from the Lions on April 11 that his agent Chris Murray was able to set up.
As he sat in the parking lot at the practice facility before the 10 a.m. workout, Howard reflected on his journey from Ball State to the present. He even tweeted his thoughts.
"Sitting in the Detroit Lions practice facility parking lot... God brought me a loooooong way. #Pray4Me," he tweeted.
After walking into the facility, that's when the emotions started kicking in.
"I was nervous at the beginning," Howard said. "But at the same time, it's a privilege that they want to see you work out. I felt honored."
But he wasn't the only prospect trying to land on a spot with the Lions on Wednesday. Being a native from Inkster, Mich., there were a number of names he recognized from the recruiting trail, which made it easier for him to calm down. He even learned that Lions coach Jim Schwartz played football with Ball State coach Pete Lembo at Georgetown.
There weren't just prospects there at the facility either. Howard said a number of Lions players, including quarterback Matthew Stafford and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, were at the complex doing their offseason workouts as well.
The workout started with a weigh-in, and then he and the other prospects were given clothes to work out in.
Howard said most of the workout was working on position drills with the position coaches. At his safety position, Howard said there were a number of things the scouts were looking at.
"They really look for hip flexibility," he said. "They want to see how well can you move toward the ball and change direction. They also want to know [if] you have a good burst."
Howard said he felt satisfied after the workout. After Ball State's Pro Day, he knew what he needed to work on for any workouts he would get NFL teams.
"I felt more comfortable than I did at Pro Day," Howard said. "I was more relaxed and I feel I did improve."
His favorite part of the day perhaps came after his workout where he and the other prospects were treated with an all-you-can-eat buffet in the cafeteria.
"Being a college student, those things are great," he said while laughing.
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