Tulane Football Selects Valuable Stars To Represent Team at AAC Media Days
In this story:
The 2025 American Kickoff is a great opportunity for the Tulane Green Wave football team ahead of the college football season.
The events give a cursory look around the new conference leaders in the AAC, as each team sends its head coach and two players to represent.
The two-day event will be held Thursday and Friday on July 24 to 25, in Charlotte, N.C., at the Charlotte Convention Center, to which fans are invited to attend.
More News: Tulane Defensive Star Sam Howard Set to Take Center Stage This Season
The Green Wave will be sending head coach Jon Sumrall as he enters his second season, in addition to linebacker Sam Howard and offensive lineman Shadre Hurst.
It’s almost talking season! 🎙️
— Tulane Football (@GreenWaveFB) July 10, 2025
See y’all in Charlotte! #UptownFootball X @American_Conf pic.twitter.com/Twd5FEl0ft
Last season, Sumrall brought defensive lineman Patrick Jenkins and center Vincent Murphy, citing the blue-collar mentality he wanted to promote with his Tulane team and how those two were perfect representatives on the line of scrimmage.
More News: Promising Outfield Transformation Could Power Tulane to Playoffs
That trend continues this season with Hurst, and he’s joined by another invaluable leader in Howard.
Both players recently made First Team selections for the Athlon Sports’ 2025 Preseason All-AAC team, out of the total seven that led the conference.
Hurst is one of two returnees on the offensive line at left guard, alongside left tackle Derrick Graham, who also made First Team.
The duo was part of an offensive line that helped the Green Wave rank in the top five in the AAC in multiple categories, including but not limited to third-down conversions, completion percentage, scoring offense, passing efficiency, rushing, and time of possession.
More News: How Transfer Talent Can Propel Tulane Basketball to New Heights
Howard was second in team tackles with 63 and set a school record with five fumble recoveries while totaling 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and an interception.
Eight of the 14 AAC teams are bringing their projected starting quarterbacks. For obvious reasons, Tulane won’t be one of them.
With the amount of roster turnover due to graduating players and the transfer portal, Graham and Howard are part of a core that has headlined the transition of incoming new starters.
They also represent the mentality and culture Sumrall wants to promote within his team, both on and off the field and in the locker room.
All of those traits make them the right duo to head to AAC Media Days.
For more Tulane news, head over to Tulane Green Wave On SI.
Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com