While attending the University of Florida on an athletic scholarship, Howard played for coach Urban Meyer and coach Will Muschamp's Florida Gators football teams from 2008 to 2011. The coaching staff red-shirted him as true freshman in 2007, and played in nine games in 2008. As a redshirt sophomore in 2009, Howard played in twelve games during the Gators' undefeated regular season. During his 2010 junior year, he appeared in eleven games, starting eight of them, but missing the rest with an ankle injury. As a senior in 2011, Howard started all thirteen games in which he played, and memorably scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery against the Kentucky Wildcats. He finished his four-year Gators career with 131 tackles and 25.5 for a loss.[2]
