CHAPEL HILL — As one of Sam Howell’s protectors on North Carolina’s offensive line across the course of these last three seasons, right tackle Jordan Tucker has developed a deep appreciation for the quarterback, from his considerable achievements to the easygoing aura he exudes.
It has become a meaningful journey to be partnered with Howell and along for his ride to college football stardom, an experience to behold for Tucker, the fifth-year senior.
“Having Sam here for three years,” he said Tuesday, “I mean, this is stuff I’m going to tell my kids about when I come back here. It’s awesome. It’s incredibly special.
“One of the coolest dudes I’ve ever met in my entire life. I love the bond that we have being his tackle. It’s great seeing what he’s been able to do. He’s only been able to get better, in my eyes. Everyone had high hopes for him and everyone had high expectations for him, but he’s continued to exceed those expectations every week, basically.”
Doing so this week could deliver on a number of significant levels and perhaps even enhance Howell’s legacy, with the Tar Heels (4-3) taking on No. 11 Notre Dame (6-1) on Saturday night in a challenging road assignment.
Howell, the junior, ranks second in North Carolina program history in career passing yards, and he’s 299 yards shy of the record former standout T.J. Yates has held since 2010. Howell has produced four 300-yard passing games this season and 13 of them during his time quarterbacking the Tar Heels, and another 300-yard effort Saturday night would make him the school’s all-time leading passer.
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Yates threw for 9,377 yards in 45 games from 2007-10. Howell has thrown for 9,078 yards in 32 games since joining the North Carolina team in 2019. Howell moved past Darian Durant (8,755 yards) for second place on the Tar Heels’ career passing chart two games ago, during a loss to Florida State.
Howell also is approaching the Atlantic Coast Conference record for touchdown passes through three seasons. At 86, he’s four behind former Clemson stars Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence, who threw 90 touchdown passes apiece during their three-year stays with the Tigers.
Not that Howell consumes himself with the pursuit of such statistical milestones, a point he regularly has mentioned and reiterated this week.
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“It’s something I really don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about, from a records standpoint,” Howell said Tuesday, in a reflective moment. “I never planned to come here and break records. I planned to come here and try to bring this program back to a place where it should be, and overall bring this school a championship. And I think whatever records come along the way, come along the way.
“It’s definitely something I don’t take for granted. I’m super blessed just to be in the position that I’m in, and I think I’ve just had a lot of help since I’ve been here. There’s been so many people that have helped me get to this point, from the coaching staff, the training staff, and to other players. I think none of these records are even talked about if I don’t have some great players around me. So I’m just super blessed to be in the position that I am. I don’t take anything for granted, and whatever records come with that are awesome. But truly that’s not why I play the game. I play the game because I love it, and I love my teammates.”
North Carolina figures to need Howell to call on every bit of his cool temperament against Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., where the Fighting Irish are a remarkable 27-1 dating to late September 2017.
“I love the experience for the kids,” North Carolina coach Mack Brown said of playing at Notre Dame. “It’ll be a packed house. It’ll be loud, it’ll be fun, and this is an experience that they’ll remember for a long time.”
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Notre Dame’s defense rates among the best in the 130-team bowl subdivision, checking in tied for fifth nationally with 11 interceptions on the season and tied for 31st nationally with 19 sacks.
Meanwhile, Howell has been sacked a combined 14 times in the Tar Heels’ two road games this season, losses at Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech.
“He’s just calm, cool and collected, always,” Tucker said of Howell. “I’ve never seen him real hot at anybody, but he’ll tell it how it is, always. I respect him. The dude’s just cool. His first class here, I was in it, and I knew he was going to be cool off the bat. He’s just a cool dude.”
Adam Smith is a sports reporter for the Burlington Times-News and USA TODAY Network. You can reach him by email at asmith@thetimesnews.com or @adam_smithTN on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Times-News: Sam Howell’s record ride at UNC provides meaningful journey for teammate Jordan Tucker
