WATCH: UNC quarterback Sam Howell rushes for 62-yard touchdown, second of game
University of North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell ran up the middle for a 62-yard touchdown to give UNC a 45-10 lead over Georgia State. The big play was his second rushing touchdown to join his two passing touchdowns as the fourth quarter started.
Sam Howell scoring touchdowns for UNC
In a huge bounce-back performance for the Tar Heels, Howell put on an offensive display in his second game of the season. After recording only 208 yards passing and 35 rushing against Virginia Tech, Howell managed to amass 84 yards rushing on touchdown runs alone to entering the fourth quarter on Saturday.
Through three quarters, Howell had led UNC to 501 total yards of offense and a 45-10 lead against Georgia State. The only misstep on the day for the star quarterback was an early fumble after two straight touchdown drives to open the game.
Howell has high expectations on him this season after coming off of two highly productive seasons in Chapel Hill. In 2019, Howell threw for 3,641 yards, 39 total touchdowns and seven interceptions. Last season, Howell threw for 3,586 yards, 35 total touchdowns and seven interceptions for North Carolina.
Coming into the season, Howell is viewed as one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football. When the NFL Draft arrives after the season, Howell is likely to hear his name very early on day one.
Howell’s big NIL deal
Howell recently partnered with Super Glow Trading Cards to create roughly two dozen different designs for cards with his name, image and likeness.
His deal will pay $100 for every card he signs as well as a 50% royalty fee for every card that is sold. The high percentage on his royalty fees is a rare, but not unprecedented, deal in the trading card industry according to Howell’s agent Dan Everett.
“Both guys have a significant six-figure guarantee,” said Everett. “If they’re playing well and their teams do well, this could turn into a seven-figure opportunity by the end of January.”
Super Glow plans to release a set of cards this October that will include 30 athletes, many of them college players. The company’s deal with Howell was arranged prior to the start of the season. The cards sold range in price from $15 to up to $1,000 for ones that include signatures and pieces of memorabilia.
“These cards will be among the first available memorabilia from current college athletes after the NCAA changed its rules this summer to allow players to profit from their names, images and likenesses while in school,” reported Murphy on the deal.
The news of Howell’s deal came after their disappointing first week in the Tar Heels 2021 season which saw Howell’s team fall to Virginia Tech. After his performance against Georgia State, Howell’s season appears to be right back on track for what he hoped.