Howard Griffith in Action

Howard Griffith
Leadership Expert | Motivational Speaker | Two-Time Super Bowl Champion | Emmy Award-Winning Broadcaster | Author

Leadership Isn’t About the Spotlight. It’s About the Impact You Make.

Howard Griffith has spent his life learning what it means to lead—through adversity, achievement, setbacks, and the responsibility of helping others succeed.

Today, as a leadership expert and motivational speaker, Howard shares those lessons with organizations, executives, teams, and individuals looking to build stronger cultures, embrace accountability, and perform at their highest level.

His message is grounded in something more powerful than theory: a lifetime of experience in environments where preparation, trust, sacrifice, and teamwork determine success.

Howard’s journey began on Chicago’s South Side, where he was raised by two loving adoptive parents who instilled in him the importance of education, character, and personal responsibility. Early learning challenges and academic setbacks tested his confidence, but they also taught him lessons about perseverance and refusing to allow circumstances to determine his future.

Those lessons carried him to the University of Illinois, where he arrived as a walk-on, eventually earned a scholarship, became a team captain, and established himself as one of the most accomplished players in school history. In 1990, he scored an NCAA-record eight touchdowns in a single game, an achievement that remains part of college football history. He was also selected to the University of Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

Howard went on to play 11 seasons in the NFL, earning two Super Bowl championships with the Denver Broncos. During his professional career, he served as a lead blocker for some of the game’s most accomplished running backs, including Hall of Famers Terrell Davis and Jerome Bettis.

But it was the responsibility of playing fullback that helped shape his understanding of leadership.

As a running back in college, Howard had been the player scoring touchdowns and receiving recognition. In the NFL, his role changed. His job was to create opportunities for someone else to succeed.

That transition taught him one of the most important lessons of his life: Your role may change. Your responsibility to lead doesn’t.

It is a principle Howard now brings into boardrooms, corporate conferences, leadership workshops, and conversations about personal and professional growth. He challenges audiences to understand that leadership is not defined by titles, attention, or individual recognition. It is demonstrated through actions, consistency, accountability, and a commitment to the success of others.

Following his football career, Howard successfully transitioned into broadcasting, establishing himself as one of college football’s respected national analysts. For nearly two decades at the Big Ten Network, he has communicated the complexities of the game to audiences across the country. His broadcasting career has included Emmy Award-winning work and has reinforced the importance of adaptability, preparation, and continuing to grow professionally.

Howard is also the author of Laying It on the Line: Notes of a Team Player, a memoir that chronicles his journey from Chicago’s South Side to the pinnacle of professional football.

Beyond his professional achievements, Howard remains committed to creating opportunities for others. He founded the Hyde Park Jr. Spartans Youth Football organization, previously served on the board of the National Able Network, and has supported initiatives focused on youth development and educational opportunity.

Through the Howard T. Griffith Foundation, he is expanding that commitment by pursuing workforce, senior, and affordable-housing initiatives designed to strengthen communities and create opportunities for long-term stability.

As a father, author, broadcaster, philanthropist, and speaker, Howard understands that success is about more than what you accomplish individually. It is also about the people you influence and the opportunities you create along the way.

Today, Howard brings a distinctive perspective to leadership development, helping individuals and organizations navigate change, build trust, embrace their responsibilities, and understand the value of every role within a team.

Because great leadership isn’t about being the person everyone sees. It’s about making everyone around you better.