Will Howard Says He 'Really, Really Wanted' to be Drafted by Steelers

The former Buckeye truly is pumped up about this pairing.

New Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard during an episode of Ben Roethlisberger's 'Footbahlin' / Footbahlin / YouTube / Screensho

Former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard has said before how glad he is the Pittsburgh Steelers took him in the 2025 draft, but he recently expounded on those comments during an episode of former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger's podcast.

"You saw it in the [Hey Rookie ] episode I did, I was begging for the Steelers to pick me," Howard told Roethlisberger during an episode released Tuesday. "When you're going through the draft process, especially as a quarterback, ... you know that there's only a couple of teams that are most likely going to pick you. ... But there was something deep inside me that just really, really wanted to be a Steeler."

He continued: "I'm just happy to be in my home state, close to Columbus, close to my family. My girlfriend went to Miami of Ohio. ... We're staying close to home."

Howard also said he met with the organization at the scouting combine and before his pro day, and "there was something about it that just stuck with me and I really wanted to be a part of it."

Watch that answer below, starting at 2:22:

In the Hey Rookie episode he is referencing, Howard was filmed saying, "Please pick me, Pittsburgh. Please pick me, please!" at the TV, not long before he got the call from the Steelers. And when he did, he was obviously fired up about the selection.

After the fact, he told reporters that "100%, the right team picked me," and has since described the pairing as a "match made in heaven."

Really just nice to see the former national championship winner so pumped about his new home, even though he had to wait a bit longer to get that call. But whether he'll be throwing passes this fall, well, that's still up in the air. Once we hear from Aaron Rodgers, we'll know more.

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