O.J. Howard Attacking Durability With New Approach
May 14th, 2019
O.J. Howard’s 2018 season was lost on this play
Health, health, health.
It’s a massive focus for O.J. Howard this year, so the manbeast tight end explained last night.
Howard got a little philosophical during a Q&A session with JoeBucsFan.com intern Zach Seifter.
The first two seasons for Howard ended with him on injured reserve; the last injury was captured in the November photo above.
Howard was asked if he’s doing anything differently entering this season, and the 2017 first-round pick wasn’t talking mechanics. He was all about health.
“I came in with a different mindset as far as like how early I want to start training and when I want to start conditioning real hard and things like that. So I have a better feel for it,” Howard said.
O.J., how are you preparing your body to be able to last all 16 games?
“Just starting the recovery process early,” Howard said. “You know, my first two years was more recovery when needed. But you have to start preparing and doing it before it even gets to injury time. That’s something that I learned and I’m trying to improve on it every day.”
Joe’s glad Howard seems to realize the only one who can stop him is himself. There’s certainly no defense — or defensive back — built to neutralize a 6-6, 245-pound tight end who runs like the wind and can make the tough catch. And if defenses do key on Howard, then the Bucs have a lot of other quality pass catchers who should take advantage.
Does Howard consider himself injury prone? It sounds like he does.
That’s a little troubling, but as long as he’s working to toughen his body, that’s all any fan or coach could want.
May 14th, 2019 at 11:18 am
Sometimes stuff just happens. Is there any amount of preparation that can prevent something like the above pic from happening?
May 14th, 2019 at 11:22 am
jeff
you took the words right out of my mouth…..
GO BUCS!!!!!
May 14th, 2019 at 11:33 am
It is a testament to his preparation that the above pic wasn’t a worse injury than it was. Defenders are so physically outmatched it ends up in some awkward tackles many times.
May 14th, 2019 at 11:41 am
BA should use OJ like the Falcons use Julio Jones!
Julio has a lot of injuries as well.
May 14th, 2019 at 11:54 am
TE’s make the tough catches over the middle.
I expect injuries. I suppose OJ does as well.
Go Bucs!
May 14th, 2019 at 11:56 am
Look the Succaneers suck suck suck, just like you people for posting about a sucky losing team
May 14th, 2019 at 12:00 pm
“Kobe Faker is the originator and the only member of the #FreeOJStocker Movement
This is it , nice and sweet
our defense sucks
our running game sucks
We have a gay kicker
2 female coaches with barbed wire tattoos and
a dude cheerleader BUT
we can win 9-10 games if only
OJ Howard goes 16 games
BA has to figure out and use JW3 & OJ to out score other teams to 9-10 wins”
Kobe Faker
May 14th, 2019 at 12:07 pm
That picture reminds me of Javorskie Lane.
May 14th, 2019 at 12:10 pm
@Kobe I think a few of us have been in that movement we just weren’t using the hashtags lol
Targeting OJ / Godwin/ Winston in fantasy this year.
May 14th, 2019 at 12:19 pm
“LC,
Klueless did Kobe dirty the game after Buff few years back
Dirk had OJ on the Oline half the snaps. Kobe went ballistic and roasted him until Dirk finally featured him on the buffalo game and then the following week?
decoy for the rest of the year
peeps dont know OJ howard is the biggest mismatch in the whole NFL. that Buff game is normal output from OJ
feature and open up the offense and we might win 9 games
Kobe was glad Hump is gone.less is more. OJ should take all of Humps targets
damn, i might do the same thing with your fantasy idea”
Kobe Faker
May 14th, 2019 at 12:21 pm
Kobe
You forgot one- our fanbase sucks.
You’re welcome.
May 14th, 2019 at 12:29 pm
Dude needs to be targeted like Kelce in KC.
Just give the kid more touches
May 14th, 2019 at 12:31 pm
Kobe, you sure have alot of free time on your hands, I am guessing you are unemployed living with your mother
May 14th, 2019 at 12:36 pm
Um, no. Tendons dont get stronger when injured, they get weaker. Bones for the most part do get stronger after breaks. Not sure where his philosophy is coming from, he’s surrounded by professionals that could tell him this. Dude needs to work on his form/running style. Get those knees up OJ!
May 14th, 2019 at 12:37 pm
“Hump was the Hot reciever last year for JW3 when they blitz
OJ takes over position
JW3 and OJ should be the
chocolate version of Wentz to Ertz (116 catches)
feature and open up the offense with JW 2 OJ and the rest should be easy
Kobe still throws up when the Bucsheep consider Klueless a good offensive coordinator.
when you have OJ howard and mobile JW3, its a travesty why you cant score in the redzone”
Kobe Faker
May 14th, 2019 at 12:45 pm
“I post alot more in the early part of the month when i get my safelink minutes reloaded on my obama phone
I bet your 1 of the rich boys who throw pennies at me when I panhandle off of the lakeland 98 exit of I4
Im drawing my new cardboard signs today
“NEED BEER $$$ Im a Bucsfan and I post at JBF allday”
Kobe Faker
May 14th, 2019 at 1:02 pm
Now that was FUNNY !
May 14th, 2019 at 1:04 pm
You can’t “condition” yourself to avoid an injury like the one pictured.
Stupid to call OJ “injury prone” when he gets hurt in a manner like that….
Any player who gets their ankle rolled like the picture shows is going to be out for awhile. Its just part of being an NFL player and there’s really nothing that can be done about it.
May 14th, 2019 at 1:09 pm
a full season of howard and the bucs will have a top 5 offense at a minimum. he’s an asset on running or passing downs, and on any down where he and mike evans are blanketed, you should have at least 2 fantastic matchups elsewhere on the field
May 14th, 2019 at 1:13 pm
also, 100% agreement with pickgrin. these dominant tight ends are always more susceptible to losing time with injury because the best ones get tackled low or dragged down from behind in the open field by guys too small to tackle them up high, and while wideouts and finesse TEs get a bit of a reprieve on running downs, the dual threats like gronk and OJ who are also known for blocking are colliding in the trenches rather than getting water on the sideline or running some dummy route
May 14th, 2019 at 1:26 pm
Meh
The 2018 was a freak play as you can see from the photo I wouldn’t label him injury prone yet
May 14th, 2019 at 2:08 pm
Kobe,
It’s funny, I got my Safelink phone long before Obama was in office.
Now I see where you are coming from in general. One remark can tell a lot!
____________
Now, back to focussing on the Bucs … good and bad.
May 14th, 2019 at 2:43 pm
@Kobe
lmao good stuff today.
I wanted OJ Howard when he fell that far. Too great a value and was a top 5-10 prospect in that draft
May 14th, 2019 at 2:48 pm
I dont wanna sound soft. He’s just gotta learn to go down. YAC is great but first downs and durability are even better
May 14th, 2019 at 3:24 pm
@Jeff, 100%.
You play through the whistle. Nothing he could have done to prevent what happened last year except not catch the ball, lol.
That said, it’s great that he’s learning how important active recovery is, even when healthy.
May 14th, 2019 at 4:09 pm
Kobe Faker says: BA has to figure out and use JW3 & OJ to out score other teams to 9-10 wins”
Kobe Faker
So in other words we need to become the 1999-2000 St.Louis Rams.
minus the Marshal Faulk running game.
May 14th, 2019 at 4:45 pm
“@ Ghost
exactly, instead of the “Greatest show on Turf” more like
“Greatest Strip Joint on Dale Mabry”
BA knows we have to outscore and LEAD/DICTATE the game to protect the Defense
Kobe has to see if BA knows how to design the screen game to be totally on board
You Bucsheep will finally see what JW3 does with the 20 yard CROSSING pattern
I want you sheep to remember Kobe Faker when you see the CROSSING pattern in its true beauty”
Kobe Faker
May 14th, 2019 at 5:34 pm
Unbelievable,
Active recovery. Absolutely on point.
It takes the young guys a few seasons before they start , as a routine, adding the pieces together. Ice tubs, hot tubs, messages, extra time in the weight room doing iso to strengthen ligaments, and always last is diet.
All the specialists , equipment and information about training is lost on young guys because the heal quickly . The 30 something vet , with few exceptions, kinda builds around all things to reduce inflammation and dampening pain.
May 14th, 2019 at 5:38 pm
Kobe,
20 yard crossing pattern….lol…yeah that would be something to see….much like teets on a bull…totally useless but I agree..it’s something to see.
May 14th, 2019 at 7:40 pm
The cover picture above does not look like someone who is injury prone.
It looks like bad timing. Its not like he pulled a hammy, he was injured by another individual. To everyone, how well do you think you would be walking around if this happened to you?
May 15th, 2019 at 8:30 am
All the guys that last in the league preach the value of taking care of their body…..Its a constant process that requires diligence both during the season and the off season. Hope Howard finds a formula that works and he avoids the injury bug.