The Buffalo Bills have added another HBCU playmaker to their preseason mix, signing former Alcorn State running back Jarveon Howard. It’s a low-risk, high-upside move that gives Buffalo a north–south runner who can punish tacklers, finish forward, and help control tempo when the weather (and game scripts) get cold late in the year.
Who he is: a proven workhorse with SWAC production
Howard built his reputation in Lorman after transferring from Syracuse, quickly becoming one of the SWAC’s most dependable bell-cow backs. He’s a compact, powerful runner with outstanding contact balance, patience behind his blocks, and the willingness to run through arm tackles rather than around them. For coaches who want reliability on early downs and toughness inside the 5, he checks the right boxes.
That résumé translates to the pros in subtle but important ways: backs who convert short yardage, protect the football, and keep the offense on schedule are the ones coaches trust when margins get thin. Howard’s film at Alcorn mirrors that profile—drive-sustaining carries, a knack for finding creases, and enough burst to turn routine runs into chain-movers.
Why Buffalo is a smart fit
Preseason is about contested jobs and contingency plans. Buffalo’s backfield needs depth for August snaps and situational answers for December. Howard offers both. His downhill style complements the Bills’ space-and-speed packages, giving the offense a hammer when it needs to salt away games or survive in less-than-perfect conditions.
If he’s going to stick, the path is classic for late-summer signings:
- Pass protection: earn trust on third down by ID’ing and stoning pressure.
- Ball security: one fumble can derail a shot; zero tolerance is the standard.
- Special teams: carve out value on coverage and return units while the offensive role grows.
Howard’s temperament fits that grind. If he stacks good practices and clean reps in the final preseason run-up, he can force tough decisions—53-man vs. practice squad now, and call-up later when attrition hits.
HBCU-to-NFL pipeline, spotlighted again
Every time a player from an HBCU signs at the next level, it moves the conversation beyond brand names and into results. For Alcorn State, this is another data point that the program develops pros—backs with vision, toughness, and discipline. For recruits scrolling their feeds, it’s a reminder that there are multiple paths to Sunday opportunities, and HBCUs are paved with them.
The visibility matters. A camp signing becomes a headline, which becomes a highlight, which becomes a freshman in a Braves jersey two years from now. Alumni feel it too—another reason to talk their program up at work the next morning.
What success looks like from here
For a physical back like Howard, success doesn’t have to mean a Week 1 breakout. It can look like this: special-teams snaps in August, a practice-squad landing spot, and a midseason elevation when legs are heavy and short-yardage conversions decide close games. If he proves he can handle protections and protect the rock, he’ll make it hard for Buffalo to let him walk.
And whatever happens next, the message is clear: the distance from the Yard to the league keeps getting shorter when talent meets preparation.
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