Gill-Howard carries NIU lessons to Texas Tech
Defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard has brought over his talent and grit from his days at Northern Illinois– he’s also carried his NIU lessons to Texas Tech.
His days at Division-II Upper Iowa to his time as a walk-on with the Huskies led Gill-Howard to becoming a vocal leader. This was not always the case, however.
“When I started as a walk-on, I really didn’t say anything. Obviously, you get into an uncommon ground and you get a little nervous,” he said Tuesday. “But as I’ve matured in my career, somebody has to do it. I always felt like God pushed me to be that guy, to be the vocal leader, to serve and inspire. So any chance I’ll get, I’ll take that. I won’t pass that up again. I regret that earlier in my career, not speaking up and saying what I needed to so that’s why.”
Gill-Howard’s leadership part of a concerted change
The star defensive tackle has 10 total tackles and 2.5 for a loss, as well as his “Thick Six” touchdown this season. His development at Northern Illinois was spurred on by outspoken head coach Thomas Hammock. Gill-Howard spoke of his appreciation for Hammock, saying he wouldn’t be at Texas Tech without the head man. Hammock’s willingness to place captainship on Gill-Howard’s shoulders before last season was a major stepping stone.
“I went through a lot of troubled times last summer that I won’t get into, but that’s ultimately when I decided to make the change,” Gill-Howard said. “I stepped over as a vocal leader, started doing things the right way. It was the last day of fall camp, and I had put in my notes, literally, like two months before, I was like, I will be the captain of this team. That day I was awarded captain, I didn’t cry for my teammates, but I cried when I got home. It was just something I always worked for. And I sent coach Hammock that text, and I was like, ‘coach, look at the date. There’s something that I manifested.’
It was just a surreal moment, because being a captain of a college team is probably the highest honor to me that I think you can get. So to be able to get that was awesome. To show how much trust and respect he had for me was also awesome. Not only him, but the team. It was just a great experience overall.”
Gill-Howard carries NIU lessons to The Jones
The Red Raiders’ defensive line has been the star of the show throughout the 4-0 start.
The talent amongst the group is undeniable. The leadership provided by a veteran like Gill-Howard is equally undeniable.
“It’s something we take pride in every week is putting it on our backs,” he said of the defensive front’s responsibility. “We’ll take that any day of the week, because we know at the end of day, we’re not playing our best, the team’s not going to be great. So going into Utah, they have a great O-line. But we knew who we are as d-linemen, whether it was a one or two, everybody went in there and gave it all they had. We take pride in the trenches and we get really angry when a team runs for yard on us. That’s the type of guys we are, and we don’t like that.”
