Getting drafted achieves a lifetime goal. For QB Will Howard, he just had to be patient for his moment. Waiting until the sixth round and 185th overall selection to get the call, Howard’s journey has been captured by NFL Films and NFL Network’s “Hey Rookie” draft documentary.
As shared in a preview clip of tonight’s finale, Howard was hoping Pittsburgh would be his NFL home.
“Please pick me, Pittsburgh,” Howard can be seen saying during stressful moments waiting out Day Three of the draft. Then, his phone rang.
“You ready to be a Steeler?” Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan can be heard saying on the phone.
Will Howard manifested the @Steelers drafting him:
"Please pick me, Pittsburgh. Please pick me, please!" #HeyRookie Season Finale airs 9:30 pm ET tonight on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/qwNIEs7Uw4
— NFL (@NFL) April 29, 2025
After speaking with Mike Tomlin, Howard celebrated the moment with his family including an emotional moment with his mother.
“All Eagles fans but now there’s gonna be some damn Steelers’ fans in this room,” Howard quipped to Tomlin.
From Downingtown, Pennsylvania not far from Philadelphia, the Howard family will have to embrace the other side of the state. The Eagles were interested in taking a quarterback but landed on Syracuse’s Kyle McCord instead. A snub, along with all the others, motivating Howard to succeed at the NFL level.
After embracing with his family, Howard ran out to the pool. Jumping in fully clothed, other members of his family joined him to celebrate the once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Though any player is happy to be selected by any team who selects him, Howard made previous comments in the documentary about wanting to play for Pittsburgh. That included a remark after meeting GM Omar Khan at his Pro Day, an event Mike Tomlin and Khan attended and had a Pro Day dinner with Howard and teammates, including fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer.
Couple these clips with Howard’s impressive showing in Jon Gruden’s QB Camp, and he’s an easy guy to root for. That doesn’t guarantee NFL success, far from it, but it’s clear the Steelers liked the player and person they were getting late in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Howard will make his Steelers’ debut in rookie minicamp May 9-11 before joining the rest of the team when OTAs begin May 27.
