When Marcus Howard is in the Edmonton Eskimos lineup he is always good. The problem is the often injured defensive end is not always in the lineup.
Howard has played 63 CFL games with the Eskimos since coming into the league in August of 2011, he has played as few as four games during the 2014 season after a career high 17 games in 2013.
The University of Georgia grad burst onto the scene with seven quarterback sacks in his first six games in 2011, using his great speed and a spin move that often found him eye-to-eye with the quarterback.
Howard started this season on the six-game injured list, but has been activated to play Friday night on the Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium when the Eskimos host the Ottawa Redblacks.
“I’ve missed time in the past” said Howard who has played 27 of a possible 54 games over the last three seasons. “It’s like riding a bike for me, once I get the cleats on and the pads on it’s natural for me”
After watching the first two games of the season and seeing the Eskimos defensive line, led by Odell Willis get all sorts of pressure on the quarterback and record five sacks in the process, Howard knows he has some catching up to do.
“That’s how it was in the past for however long Odell and I have been playing together we always want to push each other.”
Willis is off to a great start to the season leading the team with two sacks and with five QB pressures.
Friday will be Howard’s 64th CFL game, but his first in 2017 and the 31-year-old from Huger, South Carolina expects the same feeling he gets before every game.
“I’m always nervous before every football game, for me that will never go away, but once the game starts and I get hit a couple of times it will be natural for me.
“I’d rather beat somebody than get hit, so hopefully I do more hitting than taking.”
Howard is nervous going in but if he stays healthy and plays as well as he has in the past, being nervous will be more the job of opposing quarterbacks.
Roster moves
Howard is returning early from the six-game injured list because of an injury to Phillip Hunt, who moves to the six-game list.
Other roster moves by the Eskimos ahead of Friday’s game with Ottawa – linebacker Alex Hoffman-Ellis has been activated from the practice roster, linebackers Terrence Bullitt and Doug Parrish have been moved to the PR.
Game time for the Eskimos and Redblacks on Friday is at 8 p.m., coverage on 630 CHED will start at 6 p.m. with the Countdown to Kick Off pre-game show.
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