Howard and several other Alabama underclassmen are considering applying for early NFL draft entry, and the application deadline (Jan. 18) is less than a week away.
The junior says he'll lean heavily on the advice of his head coach, Nick Saban, before making the decision. He plans to sit down with Saban on Wednesday to discuss whether to turn pro.
"I don't think (making a decision) will be hard at all once I sit down with coach Saban and my family," Howard said during a Tuesday press conference. "Coach helps us make the right decision. He's always done that for me since I've been at the university. ... At the end of the day, I'll sit down with coach tomorrow and we'll make the right decision."
Howard will also have one other important piece of information to help him make the decision -- his feedback from the NFL Draft Advisory Board. Howard revealed before the title game that Alabama players voted to withhold opening letters from the board until the national championship game had been played.If Howard receives a first-round grade, he'll likely receive Saban's blessing in applying for early entry.
"We try to emphasize with our players that if you're a first-round draft pick, the business decision is you should go out for the draft," Saban said on Tuesday. "If you're in a position in the draft where you can enhance your value by staying in college, then maybe you shouldn't go out for the draft."
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