Facing off on field won't halt friendship of Deep Creek pals

NORFOLK

George Howard and Josh Anderson became fast friends at Camelot Elementary School. Both are the youngest in big families, and the pair grew up five minutes apart in Deep Creek with much of their free time spent out on the street playing football.

Anderson threw the ball; Howard ran it.

"He was like my brother," Anderson said.

Time and distance haven't changed much between the buddies, who will both be at Price Stadium today. They talk and text often on their cell phones and via Facebook, but these days, they're not on the same side. Anderson is the starting strong safety for Norfolk State. Howard is a middle linebacker for Morgan State.

"I'm glad to see the two of them are still knocking heads," said Richard Cox, who coached both at Deep Creek High. "Too bad they'll be hitting each other."

Howard and Anderson will only be on the field together during special teams. Anderson has a knack for that, with four blocked kicks in three years. That hasn't escaped Howard, who said, "We might have a couple of words if he tries to block me."

Blocking Howard is something of a feat, given that he's 6-foot-1, 245 pounds. A middle linebacker who has earned three starts this season, Howard is part of the top defense in Division I-AA. The stingy Bears give up an average of 207 yards a game and last week limited Florida A&M to 137 yards of total offense. Morgan State (6-3) boasts the top pass rush in the nation and is No. 1 in the MEAC in sacks.

Howard, a reserve after coming in from Louisburg College, has made an impression this year. The Southeastern District Defensive Player of the Year in 2005 is third on the team in tackles and has one interception.

Cox isn't surprised.

"He was an extra-hard hitter; he's taken many young men off the field," he said. "Especially when he was young, we were all in awe of his striking ability."

Despite that bruising style, Anderson said Howard, like himself, is quiet and humble everywhere but the football field. The two regularly hung out at each other's house during high school, with the Anderson family often hosting groups of 15 or more for dinner. If they weren't playing a version of the John Madden video game in their free time, the boys were talking football.

Howard, with visions of being a running back, played fullback as a freshman, but didn't have the foot speed to excel at that position. He has come to love defense.

"The coaches here really preach discipline and technique. Everybody swarms to the ball," he said. "Everybody believes in the system."

The undersized Anderson is the third in a football line in his family. Brother James played at Virginia Tech before being drafted by the Carolina Panthers. His brother, Roy, played at NSU. Josh started out as a walk-on and has since developed into a starter, something Spartans coach Pete Adrian didn't anticipate.

"He never takes a play off," Adrian said. "He goes 100 miles per hour on special teams."

Anderson and Howard haven't chatted in any form this week. Other than friendly trash talk on the field, they expect to reunite after today's game. They have business to tend to first.

Morgan State, winners of its past four, must beat NSU to remain in the conference title hunt. The Spartans, out of the title race but looking to win their final four games, would love to play the spoiler.

"It'll be a different feeling playing so close to home," Howard said. "I know all my friends and family will be there. Everybody will be there to see me and Josh."