Will Howard recalls moment Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him, reveals he was prank called

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, Howard recently revealed that he had received more than one prank call in the lead up to his selection.

Howard mentioned this tidbit during a sit-down with Steelers reporter Missi Matthews. The new Steelers quarterback further opened up about his 2025 NFL Draft experience — and all the drama that came with it. He recalled the moment he received the call at home, which was filmed for the annual show Hey Rookie: Welcome To The NFL.

“I remember sitting there on my couch, pretty much the first three days and, you know, nothing,” Howard explained. “Day one, obviously nothing. Day two, and then day three starts. I’m sitting on my couch and had all the hats sitting there lined up, ready. All the camera crew were ready for me to be sitting in that seat. And a couple of times I just got a little impatient. I went to get up and get a snack. So i ended up, right during the sixth round, I stood up and I went to the kitchen because I was tired of sitting in the same spot all day. And that was where I got the call.

“It was just a relief seeing that number come up. A 412 (area code) number with ‘Pittsburgh Steelers’ over top. I had gotten prank called a couple times, so it was nice to actually have a real one.”

The Steelers were active during Howard’s pre-draft process. He elevated his play quite a bit in 2024 having transferred to Ohio State from Kansas State. In Columbus, Howard is coming off his best year in college where he completed 73% of his throws for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 picks, while also rushing for 226 yards and seven more scores. That helped the Buckeyes to a 14-2 record in going on to win the national title in the College Football Playoff.

Overall, Howard spent a half decade in college football with four seasons with the Wildcats before his final one with the Buckeyes. He appeared in 50 games, 44 of those being starts, between the two programs in Manhattan and Columbus.

Now, he’s set to try his talents in the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback room. Of course, Aaron Rodgers’ looming free agency decision will play a massive role in how much Howard may see the field as a rookie. However, Howard is excited to potentially learn under one of the most successful NFL quarterbacks in history.