Former Alabama football player dies after accident traveling to join new team

Terrance Howard, a 19-year-old football player who previously walked on at Alabama , died on Thursday from injuries sustained in a car crash last month.

The Missouri City, Texas native suffered a minor accident along I-85 Salisbury, North Carolina , Howard's family members confirmed to KPRC2 . When he exited his vehicle to assess the damages, however, Howard was struck by a passing car and suffered massive brain trauma.

Howard remained in the care of a local hospital for several days before being pronounced dead on Thursday. His father posted a series of videos on Facebook on Thursday which have since attracted millions of views, alleging the hospital of malpractice, and his family told KPRC of their goals to move Howard to a Texas-based hospital.

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Howard played two seasons at Alabama, redshirting in 2023 and not receiving any playing time as a walk-on freshman this past year. Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer, who succeeded Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa, began his press conference with a brief tribute to Howard on Sunday.

"I do want to send along thoughts and prayers," DeBoer said. "Terrance Howard, who was with us and transferred on to North Carolina Central. He did pass away and he's got some guys that are here on this team that are close to him and are also thinking about him but I just want to send prayers and thoughts up to his family."

The 5'11 cornerback grew up in America's hotbed of high school football, only earning a varsity opportunity with Ridge Point High School as a senior. Howard shone in his lone season playing 6-A Texas football, however, finishing with 41 tackles, eight pass breakups and earning an All-District team nomination.

"I just recently saw him. I think that is probably the more realistic or the part that hurts because he was just there, and it felt like there were positive signs," Ridge Point coach Rick LaFavers said about Howard. "He had so much in front of him, and he was such a competitor. Everybody loved him."

"I remember practice because he played corner and in the competitive drills if he'd get beat he'd be like go again, let's go again." LaFavers said. "I just remember his smile. He came to my office to the coach's office and gave me a hug and he went and talked to the team."

Howard ultimately accepted a walk-on role at Alabama after graduating in 2022 where he also competed in track and field for the Crimson Tide. He finished 20th individually at the Joe Walker Invitational in 2023 with a personal-best 50.64-second finish and came in sixth during his lone appearance on the 4x400 relay team that same year.

Howard was in Salisbury en route to the North Carolina Central University training camp, where he had transferred ahead of the 2024 season. He earned a full scholarship to play at the historically black college, which had finished 9-3 and was co-champions of the MEAC last season.