BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State Football alum A.J. Howard has a chance to win a Super Bowl ring.
Howard, a safety who completed his App State career in 2017, joined the New England Patriots' practice squad on Jan. 8. He has been a member of the Patriots' organization throughout their playoff run, which concludes Sunday with a Super Bowl matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in Atlanta.
A native of nearby Hamilton, Ga., Howard initially made the Arizona Cardinals' 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie out of App State. Waived the following day, he joined the New York Giants' practice squad in late October and remained with the Giants until their season ended Dec. 30. A week later, he joined the Patriots, although he hasn't appeared in a playoff game.
At App State, Howard started in 38 of his 51 career games and finished with 219 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, four interceptions and 18 passes defended.
His timely journey to a Super Bowl appearance is detailed
in this story by ESPN.com's Jordan Raanan.
Howard closed his App State career with two straight Sun Belt Conference championships and three straight bowl wins. He'll be involved with another ring game Sunday.
