Sean Howard finds his way to the NFL

Now in his fourth season in the NFL's player personnel realm, Sean Howard begins his second season as the Packers' assistant director of pro personnel.

Howard, who was named to his position on June 13, 2001, by General Manager/Head Coach Mike Sherman after spending two seasons in the San Francisco 49ers' player personnel department, assists Reggie McKenzie, Green Bay's director of pro personnel, in a multitude of areas, including coordination of personal workouts for potential Packers players, watching over all league transactions to monitor current NFL players, overseeing the team's scouting of NFL Europe and contributing to the Packers' advance scouting of upcoming opponents.

The 33-year-old Howard, formerly an outside linebacker at UCLA, also offers player evaluations and initiates player and agent contact as part of Green Bay's efforts in free agency. Additionally, he authors special projects in college scouting as assigned.

The possessor of an undergraduate degree in political science from UCLA (1992) and a law degree from the University of Oregon (1996), Howard had joined Catellus Real Estate Development in Los Angeles after completing his legal studies, serving as a leasing and project development assistant from August of 1996 until October of 1997. From there, he became a senior law clerk for Girardi & Keese, Attorneys at Law, also in Los Angeles, where he remained until joining the 49ers in June of 1999.

Earlier, Howard was a three-year letter winner for the Bruins before seeing his playing days terminated by career-ending knee surgery prior to his senior year at UCLA. Subsequently, as a senior law clerk, he discovered that he preferred a career in which he could utilize his football, legal and business experience and thus launched his association with the National Football League as a pro personnel scout for the 49ers.

While attending Crespi High School in Encino, Calif., Howard lettered two years in football and two years in basketball. In football, he was a two-time all-state selection at outside linebacker, was a 'Top 100' selection by Blue Chip Illustrated and earned a spot on the USA Today All-America first team at the conclusion of his 1986 senior campaign.

Possessing ties to the state, Howard's father, Larry, was a defensive end on the University of Wisconsin's 1963 Rose Bowl team, lettered three years in track as a hurdler for the Badgers and later played semi-pro football. His mother, Patricia, meanwhile, was born and raised in Milwaukee. From an athletic family, his brother, Bryan, played collegiately as an offensive guard at the University of Kansas before making an unsuccessful training camp bid with the Denver Broncos.

Born July 15, 1969, in Chicago, Howard and his wife, Amy, reside in De Pere, Wis. In his spare time, Howard enjoys fishing, playing golf and skiing.