For junior quarterback Tygue Howland, this season represents a fresh start. Plagued by injuries the past two seasons–breaking a bone in his foot in the first game last season and tearing his ACL in the second game versus California a year prior–Howland has spent less time under center than he would have liked. But after a few weeks of solid play during spring practice, Howland goes into the off-season with a foot that is roughly 80 percent healed and air of confidence about him.
Spotlight: Athlete of the week
For junior quarterback Tygue Howland, this season represents a fresh start.
Plagued by injuries the past two seasons–breaking a bone in his foot in the first game last season and tearing his ACL in the second game versus California a year prior–Howland has spent less time under center than he would have liked.
But after a few weeks of solid play during spring practice, Howland goes into the off-season with a foot that is roughly 80 percent healed and air of confidence about him.
The 6-foot-3 quarterback says he plans to be the starting quarterback next season, and along with his teammates, he feels the Vikings have the potential to win the Big Sky title next season.
During the summer, what will you do to prepare for fall? A couple things are most important for me. One is getting my foot better, obviously. I’m at about 80 percent right now, so I have a couple months just to get my legs back under me.
But, probably the most important thing I have to do is being out here everyday working with the wideouts. I just have to have that collaboration with them where they feel comfortable with me and I feel comfortable with them–they know what to expect and I know what to expect.
As the quarterback, do you naturally feel like you hold more of a leadership role?Definitely. As a quarterback, you almost need to be. It’s not a mandatory thing, but it makes sense that you have to be the person that’s always doing the right thing.
For the summer workouts, I feel like myself, Drew [Hubel], Connor [Kavanaugh] and Jimmy [Collins], the quarterbacks, we know the offense better than anyone else, and it’s our job to make sure that everybody else is on the same page.
If we can do that, I think our defense will be much better, and we’ll be dominant next year.
How difficult was it to get injured in the first game and have to watch the rest of the season from the sidelines last year?It’s hard with it being my second season in a row. Last year was the year I was trying to prove myself. I had won the spot and I was ready to go. I was supposed to be my year to kind of take the program where it wanted to be.
To go out in the first game with Bobby [McClintock], my best friend, blowing his knee out, it was a tough week. And then for us to not be able to have the season we wanted to have was terrible as well.
Sitting on the sideline and not being able to help, you are just watching your guys go to battle without you. That’s terrible.
You have been injured the past two seasons, do you think about it a lot on the field?I don’t think about it every play. When I scramble, I know I need to throw the ball away or get down. I’ve learned my lesson–I need to do one of those two things.
As far as every snap, thinking about my foot or getting injured, it never really crosses my mind. I just have too many other things to worry about, I’m sure. If my job were easier, it might cross my mind.
Do you know whether you are going to be the starting quarterback?Definitely not right now. I plan on being the starting quarterback, and I hope Drew plans on being the starting quarterback, and I hope Connor plans on contributing, and I hope Jimmy plans on contributing.
I think all of us should plan on being the guy, because the last couple years we’ve seen four quarterbacks play both years. So, whether or not you’re the guy, you need to be ready to be the guy.
Who would you take a bullet for? I would take a bullet for my mom, dad and my brothers, and my family before anybody.
But, if it had to be at Portland State, well … let’s see here. I would take one for Bobby [McClintock], but Bobby could take a bullet and it wouldn’t hurt him, so I can take that one off the list.
That’s a tough question … I have no idea, that’s a tough question.
Where is your favorite place to eat on campus?I eat at Chipotle, and if it’s breakfast, I go to the Cheerful and get the Best Deal, or Subway when they had the $5 footlongs. Those are my top three.
What is the last thing you cooked? I’m running low on my scholarship money, so lately I’ve been cooking Top Ramen. So, that’s probably the last thing I cooked.
When it was sunny out, I was on the barbeque a lot, cooking chicken and steak. My specialty is probably chicken fettuccine alfredo with some broccoli and artichokes. That’s my favorite, and what I cook the most.
I love cooking. If I had more money to spend, I would cook more often.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
