Jasper Howard
Encyclopedia
Jasper Tyrone Howard was a cornerback
for the University of Connecticut Huskies from 2007 to 2009. He was fatally stabbed on October 18, 2009, hours after UConn's win over the Louisville Cardinals
.
neighborhood of Miami, an area known for its poverty
and violence
. His mother JoAngila Howard worked numerous jobs to support Howard and his two younger sisters.
His youngest sister had health issues after battling a severe case of meningitis
. His plan was to get a football scholarship and go to the NFL to get money and get his family out of the violent streets of Miami. At Miami Edison High School
, Howard was an All-Dade County pick as a senior, and named MVP of the annual Nike Dade-Broward All-Star Game after returning a punt 70 yards for a touchdown and making a 45-yard touchdown catch. He was also the team captain.
and on special teams but had no starts. During the offseason he worked hard on the field and it started to pay off. He started all thirteen games in his sophomore season as cornerback
and led the Big East Conference
in punt returns. During his junior season Howard seemed to be getting better every game. In his last game with the Huskies on October 17, 2009, he had 7 solo tackles and 4 assisted giving him a total of 11 tackles in the game, a career high. In the game he also had a huge fumble recovery.
. Jasper was stabbed to death outside the Student Union Center on the UConn campus where the dance was held. On Monday, October 19, 2009 police arrested Johnny Hood, 21, of Hartford, Connecticut
. Police said that Hood had been charged with interfering with an officer and with breaching the peace, but that he had not been charged in the stabbing death of Howard.
Subsequently, arrests were made in connection with Howard's murder. John William Lomax III, 21, was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, October 28 on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit assault in the Oct. 18 death of Jasper Howard, police said. His bond was set at $2 million. Police also arrested two other people in connection with the fight that led to Howard's death. Hakim Muhammad, 20, was charged with conspiracy to commit assault and Jamal Todd, 21, faces a felony charge of falsely reporting an incident and a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment for pulling a fire alarm that emptied the dance early that Sunday morning.
On January 14, 2011, Lomax pleaded no contest to first degree manslaughter. On March 25, 2011, Lomax was sentenced to 18 years in prison for first degree manslaughter.
in Morgantown, the West Virginia players wore decals on their helmets bearing Howard's No. 6 and displayed Howard's helmet and jersey while they observed a moment of silence; the team carried the helmet and jersey with them on the road through the 2010 season, when Howard would have been a senior. Howard's locker, adorned with letters, cards and the poster board from the Monday night vigil immediately following his death, will also remain decorated until that time. A large mural in the lobby of the Burton Family Football Complex that features former linebacker Alfred Fincher
will be replaced with a photo of Howard and a plaque commemorating his life and accomplishments along with the quote said by Jasper after the October 18th win over Louisville, "Play each play like it's the last play you'll ever play." Additionally, Edsall is planning on establishing a foundation that will help urban kids pay for college and also aid families of terminally ill players, something that Howard believed was important. Further, former Miami Edison Senior High School teammate and current Clemson Tigers
cornerback Chris Chancellor will pay tribute to Howard by changing his number from 38 to 6.
During the Fiesta Bowl on January 1, 2011 against the Oklahoma Sooners, teammate Kashif Moore wore Jasper's number six jersey in tribute. Tribute songs were made by Little Haiti rapper Hollywoodyo, entitled "For The Dead".
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the University of Connecticut Huskies from 2007 to 2009. He was fatally stabbed on October 18, 2009, hours after UConn's win over the Louisville Cardinals
Louisville Cardinals football
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship...
.
Early life
Howard grew up in the Little HaitiLittle Haiti
Little Haiti or La Petite Haïti, and traditionally known as Lemon City, is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States known as a traditional center for Haitian immigrants, and Francophone culture in the city.-Lemon City, early farming days:...
neighborhood of Miami, an area known for its poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
. His mother JoAngila Howard worked numerous jobs to support Howard and his two younger sisters.
His youngest sister had health issues after battling a severe case of meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
. His plan was to get a football scholarship and go to the NFL to get money and get his family out of the violent streets of Miami. At Miami Edison High School
Miami Edison High School
Miami Edison High School is a secondary school located at 6161 NW 5th Court in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, Florida, USA. The provost is Dr. Pablo G. Ortiz...
, Howard was an All-Dade County pick as a senior, and named MVP of the annual Nike Dade-Broward All-Star Game after returning a punt 70 yards for a touchdown and making a 45-yard touchdown catch. He was also the team captain.
University of Connecticut
Howard became the first person in his family to go to college when he enrolled at the University of Connecticut. In his freshman season he played in seven games as a reserve defensive backDefensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
and on special teams but had no starts. During the offseason he worked hard on the field and it started to pay off. He started all thirteen games in his sophomore season as cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
and led the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
in punt returns. During his junior season Howard seemed to be getting better every game. In his last game with the Huskies on October 17, 2009, he had 7 solo tackles and 4 assisted giving him a total of 11 tackles in the game, a career high. In the game he also had a huge fumble recovery.
Death
Just after midnight on the morning of October 18, Howard and some of his teammates were at an on-campus dance to celebrate the 38-25 homecoming win over LouisvilleLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. Jasper was stabbed to death outside the Student Union Center on the UConn campus where the dance was held. On Monday, October 19, 2009 police arrested Johnny Hood, 21, of Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. Police said that Hood had been charged with interfering with an officer and with breaching the peace, but that he had not been charged in the stabbing death of Howard.
Subsequently, arrests were made in connection with Howard's murder. John William Lomax III, 21, was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, October 28 on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit assault in the Oct. 18 death of Jasper Howard, police said. His bond was set at $2 million. Police also arrested two other people in connection with the fight that led to Howard's death. Hakim Muhammad, 20, was charged with conspiracy to commit assault and Jamal Todd, 21, faces a felony charge of falsely reporting an incident and a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment for pulling a fire alarm that emptied the dance early that Sunday morning.
On January 14, 2011, Lomax pleaded no contest to first degree manslaughter. On March 25, 2011, Lomax was sentenced to 18 years in prison for first degree manslaughter.
Memorials
On Tuesday, October 20, Connecticut students held a Day of Silence in memory of Jasper, during which the community wore dark clothes to indicate that they are united in mourning. The next day there was a candlelight vigil held on campus. During the Huskies' game against Big East rival West VirginiaWest Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
in Morgantown, the West Virginia players wore decals on their helmets bearing Howard's No. 6 and displayed Howard's helmet and jersey while they observed a moment of silence; the team carried the helmet and jersey with them on the road through the 2010 season, when Howard would have been a senior. Howard's locker, adorned with letters, cards and the poster board from the Monday night vigil immediately following his death, will also remain decorated until that time. A large mural in the lobby of the Burton Family Football Complex that features former linebacker Alfred Fincher
Alfred Fincher
Alfred William Fincher is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
will be replaced with a photo of Howard and a plaque commemorating his life and accomplishments along with the quote said by Jasper after the October 18th win over Louisville, "Play each play like it's the last play you'll ever play." Additionally, Edsall is planning on establishing a foundation that will help urban kids pay for college and also aid families of terminally ill players, something that Howard believed was important. Further, former Miami Edison Senior High School teammate and current Clemson Tigers
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are any team that represents Clemson University as a member of the NCAA's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference....
cornerback Chris Chancellor will pay tribute to Howard by changing his number from 38 to 6.
During the Fiesta Bowl on January 1, 2011 against the Oklahoma Sooners, teammate Kashif Moore wore Jasper's number six jersey in tribute. Tribute songs were made by Little Haiti rapper Hollywoodyo, entitled "For The Dead".