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Veteran Performer
Feb. 7, 2010
By Larry Watts Jodi Howell takes the good-natured ribbing about being the oldest player on the Purdue women's basketball roster in stride. "According to all of them, especially the freshmen, I am the old woman," says the 5-foot-11 guard from Alexandria, Ind. "The old jokes never cease when you're around this group. "Since many of the freshmen were born in the 90s, they'll mention old fads, like the side ponytail, and ask me if I ever wore one. Yes I did! And then they'll start mentioning old movies. It goes on and on. But I'm just happy they want me back." Howell didn't come about being the elder stateswoman for the Boilermakers by choice. Now pursuing a graduate degree in the school of technology, she had her entire junior season wiped out by a pair of shoulder surgeries. Her shoulder problems actually began in the next-to-last game of her sophomore season during a regional battle with Georgia. "It was late in the second half and I came down with a rebound, but I also came down with two Georgia players on top of me," she says. "I was on my side with my left shoulder on the ground and two players on my right side. I didn't know what had happened, but I was crying and I felt like I was going to throw up. It wasn't the best time I've ever had in my life." Two nights later, her separated shoulder was taped up with padding and she was back on the court for the Elite Eight battle with North Carolina. It would be the only time during the Boilers' 37-game schedule that she would not start, but she still came off the bench to contribute seven points in the 84-72 setback. Although she rested most of the summer as part of the healing process, the problem flared up once again early in the fall during a pickup game. "I came off a screen and made a one-handed catch, but something didn't feel right," she says. "I had this sharp, stabbing pain." Howell underwent surgery on her shoulder in late September and was expected to be back on the court in December. However, as soon as the shoulder restraint was removed, she told the trainer something wasn't feeling right. It turned out an infection had set in from the first surgery and the shoulder had to be repaired again, wiping out her entire season.
"I was able to return in late February and play on the scout team in practice, but I had to wear a bright-colored jersey, like a quarterback, so the other players knew not to hit me," she says. Hopefully, the shoulder problem is the last time Howell will have to spend time on the injury list. She missed her eighth grade season after suffering a torn ACL in her left knee and then her junior year of high school with a torn ACL in her right knee. The two-time all-state selection and former Indiana Miss Basketball then suffered a stress fracture in her foot, which led to a complete break and missing her final 12 games during her freshman year at Purdue. But this isn't a young lady who wastes idle time. By December of last season, she had already earned her bachelor's degree in organized leadership and supervision and she expects to complete her master's degree in the school of technology by this May. "This may not be politically correct, but I figure I'm here on their (Purdue's) dime, so I'm going to use every resource I can," Howell says. "Even if I hadn't taken that redshirt season, my plan was to at least graduate early and start work on my graduate degree. Because I redshirted, I was able to get over a full year of work in graduate school done. "I overloaded my freshman year, taking 18 hours each semester. Other than that, I was taking 15-16 hours each semester and another 6-9 hours during the summer. Those summer courses really helped." Howell showed little rust from her one-year layoff during her comeback last year, which ended with a loss to Oklahoma in the Elite Eight. Starting all 36 games, she averaged 7.4 points, hitting 47 percent of her shots from the field and 81.8 percent from the foul line. She was the top three-point shooter in the Big Ten at 47.2 percent. Currently Purdue's career leader in three-point accuracy, she is hitting 51 percent of her shots beyond the arc this season and 55 percent from the field overall. She is averaging just under 10 points per game for the young Boilermaker squad. Howell's attributes her deadly shooting touch to good genes. Both of her parents, Penny and Jon, were basketball players at Newberry College in South Carolina. Her father was her basketball coach in high school. "They were both guards also," she says with a laugh. "My dad claims he ran the offense and only scored when they needed him to and he says my mom was the best player in the family until I came along. I kept asking her questions in middle school and high school about her playing days, but all she would say was 'I took care of myself and did what needed to be done."' It was in fifth grade when Howell made the decision to make a full commitment to play basketball in college. From that day on, she and her dad had a daily routine of going to the gym for two-hour sessions of shooting drills. "He incorporated a lot of fun into it," she says. "Sure, there were times when we had fights and complained to each other. There were days when I didn't want to go, but some of my best times were going to the gym with my dad. Sometimes my mom with go with me, but if there was ever an argument, we had a rule that it was over once we reached the front door." When the offers came pouring in, Howell whittled her decision down to Purdue and Notre Dame because she wanted to play close to home. "Both schools had great academics, great basketball programs and tremendous fan support," she says. "Purdue just happened to have the perfect balance. I just love it when you walk on campus and you can feel that tradition and loyalty that comes with Purdue University." When she isn't applying herself full force into academics and basketball, Howell appreciates a good movie, especially comedies with Will Farrell. And her place has become a popular attraction for teammates because of her video games. "I've got Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64 and Wii," she says, "My roommates think I have an arcade. We'll just sit there and play Mario Brothers or some other video games in our free time." Howell says she is confident this will be her last year of playing basketball. "Not that I am ready to quit, but my body probably needs the rest after all I have put it through," she says. "I want to stay involved in basketball some way, whether it's through coaching or working with youth in developing their skills and leadership. You can take sports and teach kids skills they need to know later in life." She is already using those teaching skills to assist a young Purdue squad fighting to get its collective heads above .500 for the season. "They have come a long way since the beginning of the year," she says. "Any way I can teach them from my past experiences will help a little. I tell them if they ever have any questions to come ask me, and if I don't know the answer I will do what I can to find it for them." Along with seniors Laura Garriga and FahKara Malone, Howell is trying to make the most of the final run through Purdue's schedule. "We still believe we can make the (NCAA) tournament," she says. "I'm confident this team has a lot of heart. I'm an emotional person and am not looking forward to senior night. Thank goodness all that stuff happens after the game." And when it's over, maybe her teammates will give the old lady a rocking chair as a reserved seat for all future Boilermaker games. |
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