DePaul University Athletics
Howard Invests in Future of Blue Demon Basketball
12/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | DEPAUL ATHLETICS FUND
More Information: Wintrust Arena | Supporting DePaul Athletics
CHICAGO - He is one of the all-time greats in the history of DePaul basketball, and when the time came for Stephen Howard to demonstrate his appreciation for a game-changing college experience, the former Blue Demon gladly responded.
He partnered with former teammate David Booth in making a contribution to Wintrust Arena, the new home of DePaul basketball located at McCormick Square in the South Loop and scheduled to open for the 2017-18 season.
Howard was asked what part inside the building will bear his name.
"You mean they're not naming the arena after me?" he said. "Oh man, that just ruined my day!"
All kidding aside, Howard has a firm grasp on the significance of successful alumni like himself helping to build a cornerstone to the future of the Blue Demon program.
Howard, who is an ESPN college basketball analyst, teamed with Booth, Terry Davis, Stanley Brundy and Kevin Holland in leading the Blue Demons to three appearances in the NCAA tournament and one NIT berth from 1988 to 1992.
The 6-foot, 9-inch Howard averaged 17.1 points and 8.7 rebounds as a senior and was the first DePaul basketball player to be named Academic All-American First Team. As a senior, he also won the Anson Mount Scholar Athlete Award presented to the top scholar-athlete in the country. All of which enhances his work as a motivational speaker.
"The best memories I have of DePaul are the lifelong friendships I made while playing there," said Howard who is No. 8 all-time in career scoring and No. 5 in rebounding. "I still have those to this day. I enjoyed the campus atmosphere, the rivalry with Notre Dame and playing teams like UCLA, Georgetown, North Carolina State and St. John's.
"Back then we were a groundbreaking program as far as TV is concerned. Because of superstation WGN, we were on TV all the time. We were the only team in college basketball that had such an opportunity.
"More people recognize me from playing at DePaul than anything else I've done in my life. I was at a gas station in some small town far away from Chicago and somebody asked me if I had played for DePaul.
"It blew my mind."
Becoming involved with the Wintrust Arena fundraising campaign is something Howard could trace back to his roots.
"My whole life has been guided by the people who molded me," Howard said. "My dad, Smith, and my mom, Janice, are both educators. Early on, I could see the passion they put into educating others and that planted a seed inside me.
"Educators are devoted to helping others in a lifetime of service and leadership. When I went to DePaul, my mom and dad supported the Blue Demons and gave to the university. Their actions showed me the way I should lead my life. I am hoping to leave behind the same kind of legacy my parents did in having a positive effect on so many people's lives."
After graduation, Howard spent six seasons in the NBA playing with Utah, Seattle, San Antonio and the Los Angeles Lakers. He also played overseas in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He was with the Jazz when they advanced to face the Bulls in the 1997 NBA Finals.
"There was this electricity in the arena, and it was such a pressure atmosphere," Howard said. "Every single possession meant so much.
"I didn't get into any of the games at those Finals won by Michael Jordan and the Bulls. That was the series when Jordan passed to Steve Kerr to hit the winning shot. Being on the Jazz in those Finals was one of my most special basketball memories."
Howard gets plenty of chances to relive his college memories with Booth. For three seasons, Howard was a FOX Sports pre and postgame studio host for the New Orleans Pelicans where Booth is director of player personnel. He would fly into New Orleans three times a month and enjoyed hanging out with Booth and his family. Booth and Howard have remained close since their playing days and talk at least once a week.
Being around the Pelicans so much afforded Howard a close look at another player with a Chicago connection, a former Perspectives Charter School prospect who grew eight inches in high school.
"Anthony Davis is a player never seen before in the NBA, and the sky's the limit," Howard said. "Early on, people said he represented the next generation of power forwards, but I disagreed.
"He is one-of-a-kind, and we may never see another player quite like him. The impact he has all over the floor---scoring, rebounding, blocking shots, hitting threes, defending interior and perimeter players---he's not a hybrid four-man but an anomaly."
Thinking back fondly of his days in Lincoln Park, Howard made an appeal to fellow alumni about coming together to help build the future of DePaul basketball through Wintrust Arena.
"When I look at life, it's all about finding your gift and being truly happy sharing it or giving it away," he said. "You are blessed when you become passionate about having an impact on others. That's the best part of living.
"There is nothing material you can take with you, but you can leave behind a legacy and be remembered as a mentor for helping others. That's what life is about, and for me, it goes back to my parents and how many people they enabled through education.
"The gift of helping someone become educated is something you carry forever. It's one way of making this world of ours a better place."
Howard returns to campus each year and gives a motivational presentation to incoming Blue Demon student-athletes. Four years ago, one of those newcomers was his niece, Gabrielle Howard, who is a sprinter on the women's track team.
Gabrielle accompanied the Howard family---including Stephen's daughter Jayda who is currently a freshman volleyball player at Wake Forest---to Lincoln Park in 2009 when Howard was inducted into the DePaul Athletic Hall of Fame. Gabrielle told her uncle that was when she first began to like DePaul.
"There were times when I've asked myself: As an ex-athlete, what have I done to contribute to society?" Howard said. "I come back to DePaul every year and give a motivational speech to the new student-athletes.
"All too often, we live in a world that is all about you and there is an absence of genuine humanity. I get an opportunity to address the next generation of leaders and impress upon them the importance of putting others ahead of yourself.
"It's a small way of giving back to a university that meant so much to me. DePaul has been instrumental in my life, and the fact that I'm on ESPN now is because of DePaul and athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto."
And even though the new arena wasn't named after him, Howard is excited about what it will mean to the basketball program.
"Bringing the Blue Demons back to the city---I love it," he said. "Ask anybody on the team from 1988 to 1992 and they will tell you some of the most fun games were played in Alumni Hall during our NIT run. The student body being there---that's what college basketball is all about. Wintrust Arena is going to be much more accessible to the students and the rest of Chicago. After all, DePaul is Chicago's school.
"The new arena is going to be important for recruiting and getting back that magic DePaul had in the past. It is a state-of-the-art facility with such a progressive design. I'm very excited about what it can do for the basketball program.
"The first time I walk into Wintrust Arena, there's going to be a lot of raw emotion. Every time I go back to DePaul and speak to the student-athletes, I always remember my first day and first week there as a kid from Dallas who didn't know anybody. Four years later, I got my college degree and finished my career among the top all-time leaders in scoring and rebounding.
"And now to give back and having my family legacy carry on is really something special. It really lights up my sense of pride as a Blue Demon."