Breaking: Alabama football transfer to HBCU dies, viral tweet sparks outrage

Terrance Howard, a former Alabama football player, tragically passed away while en route to join the North Carolina Central football team. Howard, who had been a walk-on at Alabama, was reportedly moving his belongings from Alabama to Durham, NC, when the accident occurred. According to KHOU, Howard was involved in a traffic accident near Charlotte, NC. After exiting his vehicle, he was struck by another car. When first responders arrived, Howard did not have identification on him and was initially listed as a John Doe. Brooke Tigtig, the mother of Howard’s girlfriend, explained to KHOU that it took some time for authorities to identify him and contact his parents because he was transferred between hospitals.

A video surfaced online showing Howard’s family attempting to revive him and accusing medical staff of tampering with his IV, leading to his death. The video quickly went viral, garnering over seven million views on Twitter within 24 hours. A community note was later added to the tweet, providing additional context.

The note clarified that Howard had been declared brain dead and was on a ventilator. The family, however, refused to accept the prognosis and alleged that the hospital had interfered with his treatment. The note also mentioned that since Howard was on a ventilator, CPR would have been unnecessary.

Terrance Howard was pronounced dead on Thursday, as confirmed by Tigtig. Although he had committed to Alabama football prior to the 2023 season, Howard did not see any playing time under coach Nick Saban. He was, however, a participant on Alabama’s nationally-ranked track team. Howard had received several offers from HBCU programs, including Texas Southern, near his hometown, and Southern University. Ultimately, he chose to join North Carolina Central, a program that was just a year-and-a-half removed from winning the MEAC and HBCU national championships after defeating Jackson State.