Jordan Howard Named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week

Jordan Howard is on quite a roll.

Through the season's first four games, the former UAB running back has racked up yardage, accolades, and wins for Indiana. On Monday, he was named the Big Ten's Co-Offensive Player of the Week, the first Indiana player to take home the award since last season.

Howard has accumulated 675 yards this season, which leads the nation. He has eclipsed 140 yards in each game and is averaging 168.8 yards per contest. Howard is the only player to gain 140+ rushing yards in his first four games with a program in the FBS in the last 20 years, according to IUHoosiers.com.

Indiana is 4-0 for the first time since 1990, and Howard is a major reason for that. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound bruiser rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries in a close win over Southern Illinois to open the season. His carries have increased in each game, as he has earned the trust of his coaches and teammates.

Against FIU, he carried the ball 27 times and picked up 159 yards. He broke the 200-yard mark (203 yards) on 31 rushes in a thrilling win over Western Kentucky the next week. Howard's performance against Wake Forest last Saturday earned him POW honors, as he handled the rock 33 times for 168 yards and a score.

Also according to IUHoosiers.com, since the start of 2013, Howard is first nationally among active backs with 3,143 rushing yards, 562 attempts, and ten games with over 150 yards.

In two seasons in Birmingham, Howard rushed for 2,468 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was the backup to future NFL back Darrin Reaves in 2013 and took the reins of the offense in 2014 after Reaves departed. That was Howard's breakout season, as he carried the ball 306 times for 1,587 yards (132.3 per game), and UAB went 6-6 in its first season under head coach Bill Clark.