ALBANY SPORTS HALL OF FAME: Richie Howard grateful for the opportunities

Editor’s note: This is the third of a three-part series on the Albany Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015 inductions. The Hall will induct its three newest members tonight at the Hilton Garden Inn. Today, the Herald features Richie Howard.

ALBANY — There are days when Richie Howard thinks back to his father’s advice one afternoon during a random conversation when Howard was 15.

“He told me, ‘Son, just play golf,’ ” Howard said. “I told him I wasn’t playing that sissy sport. I was playing football and baseball where all the crowds would be cheering. I don’t regret anything, but I was was a pretty good golfer.”

Howard had a stellar prep career at Albany High where he played football and baseball, then went on to a successful collegiate career after making baseball his primary sport. He played professional baseball, then called it quits in 1977 after blowing out his knee and shoulder with the Atlanta Braves.

The standout will be one of three inductees into the Albany Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2015. The induction ceremony is tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn.

But Howard wouldn’t change anything.

He played quarterback at Albany High, then also was an infielder. He signed a football scholarship to Southwest Louisiana and labored on whether to play football or baseball. He never played football other than fall practice in Louisiana, opting to transfer to Chipola junior college to play baseball.

He played as a freshman, then got the football itch again. He landed at nearby Troy State in Troy, Ala., played some, then transferred to Middle Georgia where he settled on playing baseball full-time.

After his time at Middle Georgia concluded, Howard signed with Auburn where he helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series in 1976. That season, he garnered all-conference honors and won the triple crown, leading Auburn in homers (10), RBIs and batting average (.383).

He was projected as a potential first-rounder before missing 10 games his senior season after blowing out his knee. Pittsburgh drafted the Albany High standout in ‘76 where he made the New York Penn All-Star team.

The next season, he was traded to Atlanta.

His baseball career led him to the next level, but his best stories came from the football field. He said two friends talked him into playing as a sophomore because they needed a quarterback. He didn’t practice much leading up to the game on Thursday against Westover, but when the Indians trailed 8-7, Howard had a plan.

“I went to coach (Gordon) Dixon and told him to let me go in,” Howard said. “He said, ‘Howard, what are you going to run, you don’t know any of the plays.’ I told him I was going to snap the ball and run to my left. We were losing 8-7. I snapped the ball and ran for a touchdown.”

Howard recalled it being a hot day and most of the players were tired. So, he asked Dixon to let him go in again.

“I said, ‘Coach, let me go in. I’m going to run the ball to the right this time,’ ” Howard said. “So I snapped the ball, ran to the right and scored again. I remember coach Dixon running down the sidelines while I was running and shouting, ‘You better run.’ “

Howard later threw a touchdown pass to Jimmy Sims and helped the Indians rally for a 52-8 victory. Notable coaches Howard Dean Cook and Ferrell Henry noted Howard’s performance that day. Henry later coached Howard on Albany’s varsity squad.

“Richie always called the plays,” Henry said. “When he was there, we put in a lot of motion plays. He was definitely a quarterback ahead of his time.”

After his athletic career ended, Howard didn’t venture too far. His wife, Regina, and family live in Dothan, Ala., and Howard is the CEO of IVS, the largest supplier of mobile surveillance equipment for school buses in the country.

He has dabbled in coaching youth sports and said Albany ranks near the top as far as volunteers mentoring youth in athletics.

“Albany still does a lot of that,” he said. “I’m thankful for that. Those folks helped give me a chance.”

Three of the Howard’s children have graduated from college, but two of them are still in high school. His youngest, Allison, won’t be at tonight’s ceremony because of a golf commitment in Alabama.

“She’s a pretty good golfer,” Howard said.

At least someone in his family listened.