NFL Running Back Jordan Howard Returns to Alabama to Give Message

In partnership with CHOICE (Choosing to Help Others In our Community Excel), Philadelphia Eagles’ running back and Gardendale alumnus Jordan Howard will be coming to Alabama to “give a message of hope” later this week.

On Saturday, July 17 from 1:45 p.m. until 2:45 p.m., Howard will speak at the Starks Entertainment Complex in Uniontown. This event will be available for children ages nine to 17.

According to CHOICE’s website, Howard’s mother, Flora Hollis, contacted CHOICE’s founder Emefa Butler to speak about the event.

“I was honored to be entrusted with such an opportunity for the youth of our community. This opportunity is fitting to our mission of bringing charitable and educational resources into the community,” Hollis said. “In addition to sharing a message on financial literacy, Jordan will encourage the community youth to ‘win’ the right way at school, within the community and in life.”

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To promote the event, Butler joined The Gary Harris Show to speak about the impact the camp will have on the children of Perry County.

“When you look at conversations around financial literacy, while that is a hot topic taught in most households and inside some schools, it’s not always a conversation here,” Butler said. “When you bring somebody that can get the young people’s attention, then you’re going to produce a more soundly person or citizen that is money conscious.”

Butler echoed the importance of having an influential figure speaking to the community instead of just holding a football camp.

“Oftentimes when you talk about an athlete that has gone beyond their high school or collegiate experience, coming back to the community is usually a camp,” Butler said. She later stated, “It’s not about the ball. It’s about the character.”

The entire interview is available below.

After finishing his senior season at Gardendale High School, Howard started his collegiate career at UAB. He spent two seasons as a Blazer before transferring to Indiana in 2015 as a junior.

Howard was drafted during the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. As a Bear, Howard was named to the Pro Bowl. After his time in Chicago, Howard joined Philadelphia in 2019 and Miami in 2020 before settling as an Eagle.

To register for the event, fill out the online form here.