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Desmond Howard Criticized for Making Ohio State Dig During Heisman Ceremony
Desmond Howard was one of the most-talked-about figures on the Heisman stage for all the wrong reasons Saturday, and the ESPN personality doubled down on his viral moment over the weekend.
After Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson expressed his joy at beating Ohio State for the first time in 10 years, Tim Tebow followed up by jokingly asking Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett to "please stay there" on stage between Hutchinson and Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Howard responded with a dig at Ohio State that was met with an awkward reaction from the Heisman ceremony crowd, saying, "Better than his [Stroud's] offensive linemen."
Aidan Hutchinson reminding CJ Stroud at the Heisman ceremony 😂
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 12, 2021
pic.twitter.com/alCbnQYFq9
Later that night, the 1991 Heisman winner offered multiple tongue-in-cheek apologies via Twitter.
"I would like to apologize ... to everyone who doesn't have the ability to recognize a fun, good natured ribbing among football rivals," Howard wrote. "C.J. is good. We good. And that's all that matters to me. Everyone else can relax and enjoy the rest of their night."
The former Michigan receiver continued to respond to replies from Twitter users regarding his Heisman ceremony comment.
I'm deeply sorry.
— Desmond Howard (@DesmondHoward) December 12, 2021
Just sick with regret.
That so many people choose to stay B I G mad on the internet. Your quarterback is funnier than you, tougher than you. Be more like your quarterback. 🤣💪🏾 https://t.co/oegpfiM2L5
Howard also engaged in a less gracious Twitter spat with former Buckeyes receivers coach Zach Smith, who was fired by Ohio State in 2015 days after an order of protection had been filed against him by his ex-wife amid allegations of domestic abuse.
Overall, it made for one awkward moment after another both on and off the Heisman stage for all involved.
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Andrew Gastelum is a programming editor and writer at Sports Illustrated who specializes in soccer, the Olympics and international sports. He joined the SI staff in March 2021 and previously contributed to Howler Magazine and NBC Sports. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame alum and is currently based in Italy.