ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Grayson “Pup” Howard’s nickname has nothing to do with the enjoyment he receives from obedience training of dogs. Rather, it was bestowed upon him by a youth football coach who sensed a young Howard would grow into a player with quite the bark.
Sure enough, the 6-foot-4 and 240-pound linebacker is expected to be a centerpiece in coordinator Josh Aldridge’s defense at USF. The Jacksonville native transferred from Florida, where he started the first nine games (37 tackles) of the 2024 season before injuries forced him to the sideline for the remainder of that season and all but three contests in 2025. He is ready to have an impact in his first season with the Bulls, who begin preseason camp Wednesday.
“I’ve been enjoying it,” he said at American Conference media days, of his seven months at USF. “It’s been a great move, a smooth move. I am excited for fall camp.”
Howard has been looking forward to strapping on his pads and buckling up his helmet so he can hit someone, even if it is one of his teammates on the offensive side of scrimmage.
“We are so tired of training for football with no pads on,” he said of post-spring conditioning and drills. “We’re excited to put the pads on and allow ourselves to get better and prepare for the first game of the season.”
The September 5 opener at Raymond James Stadium against FIU will be here soon enough. A man who has meant so much to Howard has made sure to attend each of his games.
“My dad is the hardest-working man I know,” Howard said of his father, Gregory, who served 22 years in the U.S. Navy. “He moved out of my grandma’s house and enlisted when he was 17. He’s a great role model and instilled a lot of great qualities within me. A hardworking man who I try to model my life after.”
Howard said he also owes much of his personal development to Christopher Foy, his coach at Jacksonville’s Andrew Jackson High. Also, Bubba Horn, an assistant coach at Andrew Jackson who Howard said helped greatly with the college recruiting process.
“Those three men poured so much into me and allowed me to be the man I am today,” he said.
Four-legged friends
Howard, who began his collegiate career at South Carolina in 2023, immensely enjoys training dogs and finds it very rewarding, especially when they find new homes.
“When I was in Gainesville, I trained two fosters, and they were both adopted,” he said. “I am not a professional. I just watched YouTube videos.”
After arriving in Tampa in the winter, Howard thought about getting a dog for himself. Whether it is a park, at a beach or open spaces on the USF campus, “Pup” can be found training a pup. Actually, Knox, a black lab that is about 18 months old.
“When I got (to USF), I was like, ‘You know what, I should get a dog,’” he said. “I went to the Humane Society of Tampa and he was there for two days. He was beautiful.”
The two have been inseparable. Well, Howard’s looked after Knox during spring practice and will do much the same beginning this week when football dominates the calendar.
“I am excited every day to be around him and train him,” said Howard.
READ: Finding The Inches: How High School Hurdles Forged USF Coach Brian Hartline
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