From Gridiron Champion to the Bulldog Family: Incoming Freshman Nijah Howard Is Already Inspiring a Community

When Nijah Howard steps onto Bowie State University's campus this fall, he'll be doing far more than starting his freshman year. He'll be continuing a journey of resilience, faith and purpose that has already touched thousands of people, and Bowie State intends to walk every step of it with him.

Nijah arrives at Bowie State as a state champion. As a member of Archbishop Curley High School's football team, he helped bring home the 2024 Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association state title, the culmination of years of dedication on the field. But not long after that victory, Nijah received a life-altering diagnosis, one that brought with it left-side extremity weakness and cognitive challenges that doctors warned could make it difficult to focus in a classroom.

"The doctor had told me I'm not going to remember a lot when I go back to school," Nijah recalled. Some doctors even gave him a grim prognosis. His mother's response has become the family's guiding philosophy: "God has the final say."

Rather than let the diagnosis define him, Nijah redefined himself.

While football had consumed most of his time and energy, Nijah's plan B revealed a gift for storytelling and entrepreneurship that has already reached a national audience:

• "The Hardest Season," Nijah's children's book, which uses football as a metaphor for his own health journey, became a No. 1 Amazon bestseller and held a top five ranking for two months,

• Nijah Strong, his own clothing line named for Isaiah 41:10, one of his favorite scriptures, reflects the faith that has carried him through, and

• The Journey, a future restaurant concept Nijah dreamed up during his hospital stay, blends his love of food with the story of his own path.

His story caught the attention of local media, and from there, it reached Bowie State University President Aminta Breaux, who heard about his story and immediately reached out to invite him to campus.

For Nijah, the choice came down to something simple but powerful: energy. "It was just straight positive energy, love, laughter," he said of his first visit to campus for Admitted Students Day. Though he had other offers on the table, the warmth of the Bulldog community, from the scholars who welcomed him to campus to the family feel of a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) campus, made the decision clear. Being close to home in Essex, Maryland, and to his mother's work, only confirmed it further: "God makes no mistakes."

He'll be joined by several friends and former teammates from Archbishop Curley, giving him a built-in support system from day one.

Since the spring, Bowie State's Disability Support Services team, including staff member Renata Sikorski, has worked hand-in-hand with Nijah's family to ensure a smooth and supported transition to campus life. That support includes first-floor housing accommodations tailored to his mobility needs, academic accommodations such as extended time on coursework, continued physical therapy access to support his ongoing recovery and ongoing communication with his family to ensure every detail is in place before move-in day.

To celebrate his perseverance and welcome him to the Bulldog family, President Breaux personally presented Nijah with the Goodloe Merit Scholarship, a special award named in honor of Bowie State's first principal, Don Speed Smith Goodloe, Ph.D., worth $20,000 over four years ($5,000 annually).

As a business major with entrepreneurial dreams of his own, Nijah will also have access to Bowie State's Entrepreneurship Innovation Center, where students can access 3D printing and other technology, receive coaching from industry experts and compete in a campus pitch competition for prizes up to $10,000. The center's programs also provide Nijah and the other students with opportunities to be connected with campus mentors and entrepreneurial leaders, like the CEO of Saxbys, whose campus cafe model gives students hands-on experience running a business for pay and course credit.

Nijah plans to study business, hoping to one day manage a healthcare facility like his mother before launching a business of his own, following in the footsteps of a mother whose career and family foundation have been devoted to service.

When asked what inspires him, Nijah didn't hesitate: his mother. "She's a strong woman. She kept going, stayed strong and that's what's moving me to be so strong."

Bowie State is proud to welcome Nijah Howard, his mother and younger sister, who, at 11, already knows she wants to go to Bowie "like her brother," to the Bulldog family. His story is a testament to the power of faith, family and community and a reminder of exactly what it means to be Bowie Bold.