The Shield: When and why did you start playing soccer?

Jerry Howard: I started playing when I was really young and I kept playing. I started playing when I was 3, so it’s been 15 years.

TS: What has been your favorite part of McCallum soccer?

JH: It’s actually my first year at McCallum. I transferred in the last six weeks of last school year. I really like the coaching staff here. Coach Martin and Osorio are awesome, and our group as a team has a lot of depth. We’ve had a lot of injuries, but we are a solid group and we push each other.

TS: Where did you go to school before McCallum?

JH: I went to Round Rock High School as well as this school in Dallas called Lone Star High School.

TS: Outside of school, what teams have you played for?

JH: Outside of school I used to play for Lonestar’s Academy during my freshman year at Round Rock, and in Dallas I played for FC Dallas’ academy my sophomore and junior year. This year, I’m just playing McCallum soccer.

TS: Is there any significance behind your jersey number?

JH: Not really, I just wanted one that fit, and I wear a large. Only 21-25 were large so I thought 23 was the best number so that’s why I chose that one.

TS: What position do you play?

JH: Defense.

TS: Do you plan to play soccer in college?

JH: Not NCAA, maybe intramural.

TS: Are there any schools that you are thinking about in particular?

JH: Not really. I’ll just see where I end up academically first.

TS: What schools have you applied to?

JH: I’ve applied and got accepted to TCU, SMU, Houston and Indiana University. I have applied and I’m waiting to hear from Northeastern, Boston, and Washington University in St. Louis.

TS: What has been your favorite memory from this year in McCallum Soccer?

JH: I like the practices where it has been raining, and we still go out there and make it really fun. Gamewise, I’d say scoring my first goal was really exciting.

TS: What will you miss most about McCallum soccer?

JH: When you play high school sports, you represent all your friends and have them come to your games; you represent your school too, so I’ll miss that. This is probably my last year playing competitive soccer, so I’ll miss that as well.

TS: Do you feel the team met its goals that were set the team at the beginning of the season?

JH: We started of really rocky; we lost almost every game in preseason. But during district play we’ve done well, and we’re coming together. I definitely feel like we’re hitting a stride and that we made the playoffs, and that was our main goal this year.

TS: What do you like about playing defense?

JH: I like the challenging physical aspect of it. Pushing people off the ball and going for headers. It’s not like the attackers who just dribble the ball; I like to attack the ball and be physical with people.

TS: What do you plan to study in college?

JH: I really want to study business economics or quantitative analysis.

TS: What game did you score your first goal at McCallum in and how did it feel?

JH: I scored my first goal in the game against Travis (on Jan. 31 in a 3-3 tie), and it felt really great because I played goalkeeper before this year, so it felt good to be out in the field my senior year. I don’t get a lot of chances to score so when I can it’s cool.