Skip to main content

John Howard

Hall of Fame

|

Inducted 1978

College

Washington College

John "Hezzy" Howard began his lacrosse career at St. Mary's High School in Annapolis on St. Mary's first lacrosse team in 1948. Hezzy attended Washington College in 1953, where he became a highly skilled attackman and face-off man. Washington College won the Laurie Cox Division in 1954, with Hezzy leading the nation in assists and earning honorable mention All-American honors that year. In 1955, he again led the nation in assists and earned third team All-America status. In 1956, Hezzy was named a first team All-American, won the coveted Jack Turnbull Award as the nation's outstanding attackman and the Seth Trophy, awarded to the Naval Academy's outstanding opponent. In the 1956 North/South Collegiate All-Star game, Hezzy scored 5 goals and 6 assists for the victorious South squad. 

Hezzy co-founded and played for the Washington Lacrosse Club from 1963-1967, and was selected a club all-star each year. He also played for the Washington Lacrosse Club in the Maryland Box Lacrosse League in 1965 and 1966, leading the league in scoring in 1965. Hezzy began coaching as a freshman coach at the University of Maryland in 1960 under fellow Hall of Fame members John Faber and Al Heagy. 

In 1962, he became an assistant varsity coach and in 1966, the head coach for the Terrapins. In his four years as head coach, he compiled a 37-7-1 record. Hezzy's two most satisfying victories were the 9-4 defeat of a heavily-favored Hopkins team in 1967 that gave Maryland a shared National Collegiate championship title, and a 5-3 victory over Navy in 1968, which broke an eight-year losing streak to Navy. Hezzy Howard passed away in 2008.