What could be better than being recognized as the most reliable youngster behind the wheel of a car in all of the United States? For Perry High graduate John David Howard, it would be the opportunity to join one of the country’s top Division II college baseball programs.
Late in 2007, Howard won a competition for the title of America’s Safest Teen Driver. But early in 2008, he steered his attention towards the Perry Panther baseball season. While Carmax was impressed with his automotive skills, the left-handed pitcher also had the interest of the baseball coaches from Tusculum College in Greenville, Tenn.
Before graduation ceremonies for all of Perry High’s seniors, Howard held his own ceremony to sign scholarship papers and become a member of the Pioneer team.
Tusculum completed its 2008 baseball season ranked No. 13 in Division II by Collegiate Baseball and with a final record of 41-15. It was the fourth season in a row Tusculum earned 40 or more wins. When Howard dons a Pioneer uniform for the 2009 campaign, he will help the team defend its South Atlantic Conference tournament championship and seek a third straight bid to the national tournament.
“It kind of just happened out of the blue,” said Howard about the connection made between himself and Tusculum. “They contacted me, and I sent them a DVD of me pitching. Then, just in a couple of weeks, I decided that’s where I wanted to be. I’m happy to have the opportunity to play next year.”
This “out of the blue” chance, as Howard explained, came when his TNL Sports summer league team out of Macon played in a tournament in Tennessee. He suspects that his TNL coach, Chance Reynolds, helped spark the Pioneers’ interest. Reynolds worked with a few other area pitchers in the 2008 graduating class who earned college opportunities, including Westfield’s Matt Weaver (Darton) and Houston County High’s Kyle Davis (Piedmont).
“Going into the season, I’m supposed to be in the bullpen,” said Howard about Tusculum’s plans for his services. “Depending on how I do this summer, how much weight I can put on and get stronger and how much speed I can pick up, I can compete for a starting job as a freshman.
“I’m just trying to get as much playing time as a freshman as I can.”
Tusculum also fits into Howard’s academic goals. He said he wants to major in business or management, but this college sets up its classes quite different from others.
“They go to school on a block schedule,” he said. “So I take one class at a time for 18 days, and then I take a final. And then I get four days off and start a new class after that.
“It’s pretty weird, but they say it works out great for athletes. You’re only taking one class a day, which means you get either the morning or the afternoon to run and lift, and then be at the field when you’re supposed to be.”
While working to improve on his curveballs and changeups as well as his physical make-up, Howard has to wonder what kind of ribbing he’s in store for when his new Pioneer teammates find out America’s Safest Teen Driver is joining their ranks.
After all, as much as baseball is about home runs and strikeouts, it’s also a great source for good-natured teasing among teammates. Howard’s Perry Panthers were no exception.
“Everyone gives me a little grief for it,” said Howard. “Especially if guys are riding with me in-between games. We’re going somewhere, and I’ll hear, ‘Hey you gotta put on your blinker! Put on your blinker! Oh, he’s not wearing a seatbelt in the back! Make him put on a seatbelt!’
“Everybody gives me a hard time about it, but I take what I can get.”
But there was no teasing when the Panthers took the field. The team soared to a Region 4-AAA sub-region championship and third straight state playoff bid in 2008. One of Howard’s toughest wins came in those playoffs when he held down a potent Troup High offense and gave the Panthers a much- needed series-leveling win at home.
“I was proud of our whole team,” said Howard. “(Winning the sub-region) was a really big accomplishment. We only made it to the first round of the playoffs, but we ran into a team that’s really pretty good. I was proud of the way our guys fought and battled in that series.
“That was probably one of my most clutch performances. I’ve had games where I had better stuff, a little more strikeouts or something like that, but that’s one of the games I was most happy with.”
