For John Howland, the path that would lead to the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame all started in high school driver's education class.

Howland and his classmates were set up in a mock vehicle, with the design being to test their reaction time. After Howland went, his instructor could not believe his time. Thinking the machine to be broken, he sent Howland to try a different simulator. After receiving similar numbers on a second machine, it became clear what the problem was.

Howland's reaction time was off the charts.

With that in mind, Howland was sent to sign up for the box lacrosse team. Lacrosse was Sewanhaka High School's pride at the time, having been undefeated for 40 games. By the time you graduated that undefeated streak stretched over 70 games, as he did not lose a game in his high school career. Of that success, Howland was rewarded with a scholarship to Rutgers.
High school lacrosse did one other very important thing for him. It introduced him to his wife.

"She sat behind me in English class in high school," Howland remembered. "There was a high school All-Star Game coming up in Long Island, which was very big in lacrosse. She talked me in to inviting her to the game as a date since I was playing in the game. That was in 1954. And we are still married today over 60 years later."

Off Howland went to Rutgers, a school that looked very different than it does today. With just over 6,000 students and small classes held in individual houses, his college experience was more cozy than today's sprawling campus.

His athletic career started on the freshman team, as first-year students were not allowed to play varsity at that point. Despite taking his first ever lacrosse loss to Princeton at the end of the year, his season was highlighted by a spectacular nine-goal performance in a win over Army.
On the varsity team, Howland was part of a star-studded roster under the coaching of Al Twitchell. An excellent passer, Howland three-times either won outright or shared the team's Alfred Sasser Trophy, which was given for the most assists on the team.

That skill came in handy in his first varsity season in 1957, when he continually fed the ball to Jack Daut, who broke the program's scoring record with 43 goals. The following season, with Rickie Nicklas as his primary feeder, Howland equaled that mark with 43 goals of his own.

That memorable 1958 season included the game that Howland called "the most exciting lacrosse game" he ever played in. Rutgers played against Mount Washington, a club team that assembled All-American players from the Baltimore area. Just two years later, Sports Illustrated would tab the Mt. Washington program as "one of the most successful athletic dynasties in history." But on May 10, 1958, they were no match for the Scarlet Knights.

Everything clicked that day for the Rutgers side. Receiving contributions from throughout the roster, such as defensemen Ross Farquharson scoring a rare two goals, it was clear that it would be the Scarlet Knights day. A terrific all-around performance, the 10-8 victory was part of a five-game winning streak to close a 9-2 season.

Howland's last season 'On the Banks' was in 1959, when he was a co-captain with former high school teammate and future Rutgers head coach Bob Naso. For the third straight season, Howland was named an All-American, earning first team accolades.

"The guys that I played with, they were sensational," Howland said. We had great players. The coaches really cared about the players and made sure that they did well in school. It was a great experience to be part of."

After that last season of lacrosse, Howland stayed in college for one more year before graduation. It was then that he got to take part in an experience that would shape his future career: The College Quiz Bowl.

"At Rutgers they set up competitive trivia contests in the athletics center," Howland explained. "There were sign-ups for contestants, as they were selecting a team of four regulars and one replacement. And so I made the team. We competed against teams from other colleges, broadcast live on TV, Sundays at 5:30 p.m., live and unscripted. It was a lot of fun. We won five consecutive times in June of 1960."
Howland was able to parlay that experience into his transition to the workforce. While interviewing for potential jobs, he was able to tell his prospective employers to look out for him on national television.

"When I applied for my job, being on the College Quiz Bowl was a major factor in me getting the job," Howland recalled. "I had that job for 31 and a half years, from 1960 to December 1991. It was with what is now Verizon, at the time it was New Jersey Bell, then it became Bell Atlantic and then Verizon. But it was the Rutgers visibility through the quiz bowl that helped me get that job for which I am very grateful."

After his playing career, Howland stayed connected to the game. Living in Milltown, N.J., he spent time as a volunteer high school coach. He got to coach his son in high school and helped teach the game to his wife's nephew Reid Jackson, who ended up as a three-time All-American and Hall of Famer for Rutgers. The Howlands even served as a host family in 1976 for the Australian lacrosse team as they conducted a U.S. tour. 
For all the game has done for him, this induction into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame is one of the most meaningful accolades to Howland. The opportunity to spend induction weekend with family and old friends is one that he is very excited for.

"It is a terrific thrill, it really is," Howland said. The best part of it is, my family is thrilled and this is a part of me that they did not really see. I was knocked over by their reaction to the news. So many of them are going to come up to New Jersey for the ceremony. It is a great honor and it brought back the association I had with lacrosse from the time I was 13 and it is just terrific to relive those memories. Most of the credit goes to the coaches and the players I played with, without them there is no way I'd be here, and without the support of my family. It is an unbelievable honor, the greatest honor of my life."