Robert Howard Commits To Crimson Tide

The University of Alabama has received a verbal commitment from Robert Howard, a senior at Benjamin Russell High School. He will stay close to home next fall, joining the Crimson Tide’s roster for the 2015-2016 season. “Being an Alabama fan my whole life, when it came down to making my decision Tuscaloosa was home. I’m very excited to be apart of the hottest team in the country and add to the championship legacy at The University of Alabama,” said Howard.

Howard swims for Auburn Aquatics, specializing in backstroke and freestyle. As a junior, he won the 50 and 100 Free at the 2013-2014 Alabama High School State Championships. At the 2013 Winter Junior Nationals, he placed 29th in the 100 Free, 51st in the 200 Free, and 66th in the 50 Free. This year, he had an excellent long course season, placing 49th in the 50 Free, 70th in the 200 Free, and 27th in the 100 Free at Summer Junior Nationals.

Howard’s Best Times

(SCY/LCM)

50 Free: 20.61/23.81

100 Free: 45.37/51.80

200 Free: 1:39.16/1:54.73

500 Free: 4:32.97/4:13.01

100 Back: 51.56/59.68

200 Back: 1:50.77/2:11.10

He Is Only Getting Faster

Howard’s best times are all from his junior season, which indicates that he will continue to improve before his first year with the Crimson Tide. His recent long course season shows that he can compete at big meets and perform well under pressure. While his times are not quite at the SEC Championship scoring level yet, he may be able to contribute to Alabama’s 200, 400, and 800 Freestyle Relay, depending on how well he develops in the next year. Howard will have a lot of fast guys to train with and learn from, such as the 2014 50 Free NCAA Champion Kristian Gkolomeev, once he is part of the Crimson Tide, which will help him have a successful collegiate debut.