Running with the big Dawgs in Georgia

Football
7/2/2025 2:42:00 PM

Michael Abdella – Assistant AD for Strategic Communications

There are many ways collegiate student-athletes can spend their summers: staying in shape, gaining first-hand experience for the future career, and learning skills that will set them up for post-college life, to name a few. This summer, rising junior William Howell has found a way to do both each of these through an internship with the one of the top NCAA Division I football programs in the country.

Since the end of May, Howell has been a football strength and conditioning intern with the University of Georgia football program, which won the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship and finished the season ranked No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings. As a kinesiology major, this internship has allowed Howell to gain valuable hands-on experience in his field in a setting with some of the biggest names and faces in the college football world.

Howell’s path to the internship started in an Intro to Kinesiology class he took in the fall when a speaker from a private performance training facility came in one day to talk to the class and answer questions. At the end of the class, Howell introduced himself and told him he was interested in an internship, which led to an internship during St. Olaf’s January Term, a one-month period where students focus on one class or internship.

During January, Howell learned that one of the coaches he was working with had done the internship at the University of Georgia and asked for more information. After reviewing the opportunities that were available for internships, Howell decided he was most interested in the one at Georgia. Before applying, he visited the Piper Center for Vocation and Career – which helps St. Olaf students explore careers, gain experience outside of the classroom, and pursue meaningful post-graduate work – to develop a resume, cover letter, and references. Later, he received a call from the intern coordinator at Georgia and was offered the position.

Howell credits St. Olaf Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Performance John Waters and the Kinesiology Department for helping him secure the internship.

“Coach Waters introduced me to a high standard for the operations of a collegiate strength program,” Howell said. “With his help, and advising from others in the Kinesiology Department, I feel that I was prepared to take on this internship.”

In Georgia, Howell is part of a staff that includes five full-time strength coaches and roughly 15 interns, who help run the summer strength program for the Bulldogs. Most days, Howell arrives at the facility around 6 a.m. to prepare for the workouts or runs the team will complete that day. This may mean preparing power racks for lifts, setting out cardio equipment and stations for team conditioning, or preparing hydration stations for the athletes.

Once the team arrives, Howell and the other interns direct them to their stations, ensure they have the correct weight loaded for their exercises, spot for the lifts, and help with whatever else is most urgent. When the workout is complete, they clean up and reset the room, so it is ready for the next day.

As someone who aspires to have a future career in strength and conditioning, Howell has gained significant insight into the field during his time in Georgia.

“This opportunity has shown me a lot about what it takes to be a strength coach,” he said. “You need to be passionate, punctual, and dependable. At this level of competition, there are very high expectations for everyone involved. From the head coach to the student support staff, everyone is expected to give their best every day. Additionally, my time here has enabled me to practice many skills that I can use in the future, and I have improved my communication skills and attention to detail.”

Howell’s internship runs through July 31 and has cemented his hope to one day work with athletes at high levels of competition, while helping him learn important skills that will carry over when he returns to The Hill.

“The emphasis on dependability and accountability that I am practicing this summer will surely help my down the line as a student-athlete,” he said. “Being proactive and having the ability to adapt to difficult circumstances are essential to being successful as a student and as a football player at St. Olaf.”