When Tyriq Starks steps onto the field at William H. Greene Stadium, there’s a calm confidence in how he commands the huddle. For Starks, football is more than a game. It’s a legacy.
The sport has always been in his family, passed down through his father, older brothers, uncles and cousins.
“Football was ingrained in me from the start,” Starks said. “It’s a bloodline type of thing.
Now a graduate quarterback at Howard University, Starks has become one of the faces of Bison football. His journey to this point is built on family, faith and perseverance.
Faith remains at the core of his approach, guiding how he handles challenges on and off the field, whether it’s bouncing back from a tough practice or leading his team in high-pressure moments.
“Growing up around the game naturally made me fall in love with it. Once I started playing, I fell in love with it even more,” Starks said.
That foundation has carried him from his early playing days in Florida and Kansas to The Mecca, where he has emerged as a leader on a program focused on turning potential into results.
After playing under quarterback coach Brett Kean at Independence Community College in Kansas, Starks continued his career at Florida Atlantic University. When Kean later joined Howard’s staff as the quarterback coach and co-offensive coordinator, he reached out to Starks, eager to make him his quarterback again. Starks saw an opportunity to reunite with a familiar coach and found that Howard’s program aligned with his values and ambition.
“Me and Coach Kean had a prior relationship before he took the job here,” Starks said. “We had a great bond, and that gave me confidence the moment I set foot on campus.”
That confidence showed immediately. In Howard’s season-opening win over Florida A&M University in the 2025 Orange Blossom Classic, Starks had a standout performance that helped the team down the stretch.
Playing in his hometown of Miami, he completed 17 of 28 passes for 145 yards, threw a touchdown and added 30 rushing yards. He also led a late fourth-quarter drive that set up kicker Matt Conord’s game-winning 43-yard field goal in a 10-9 victory.
The performance not only secured Howard’s first win of the season but also proved the Bison had a quarterback who could handle pressure.
Starks’ steady play in the closing minutes helped the Bison hold off the Rattlers and seal a statement victory.
“That’s QB1 right there,” said senior sports management major and linebacker Cam Dyson. “Riq [Tyriq] brings a certain dynamic that Howard football’s been missing. He brings a certain type of swagger to the team and to the offense that we haven’t had in a minute.”
“I love Riq to death,” Dyson added. “That’s my guy.”
That dynamic carried into one of Howard’s biggest rivalry wins in years, a statement performance in the program’s 100th game against Hampton University. In the 34-7 victory, Starks was accurate and confident, completing 12 of 15 passes for 165 yards with no interceptions and rushing for a touchdown.
The win marked Howard’s first triumph over the Pirates since 2014 and further solidified Starks’ place as one of the team’s offensive leaders.
Away from the field, Starks has experienced just as much growth. As a graduate student who is currently undecided on his major, he balances academic and athletic demands by relying on discipline and structure as the foundation for his success.
“My dad always told me before you can be a football player, you’ve got to handle your responsibilities,” Starks said. “We went to school before we went to practice. That stuck with me. I make sure I handle what I need to so nothing overlaps.”
Inside the locker room, Starks has become a steady voice for his teammates.
“My chemistry with Riq has been amazing,” said freshman wide receiver and sports medicine major Antonio Hunter. “He checks on how I’m doing in school, talks about life and makes sure everybody’s locked in. As a leader, he’s the best I’ve seen. He does everything he can to help us win.”
Hunter’s words reflect Starks’ goal to make an impact on younger players, setting the tone for accountability and unity within the locker room.
“I might be the extra push those guys need, just like they are for me,” Starks said. “We all have the same goal. We want to get to Atlanta in December. It takes all of us.”
Starks said he has matured significantly since his freshman year at Independence Community College. Early in his career, he lacked consistent quarterback training, but through studying the game and watching elite players, his understanding and confidence have grown.
“My mentality toward the game has expanded a lot,” Starks said.
“I didn’t always have quarterback coaches growing up, so once I got to my junior and senior year, I had to mature quickly,” he said. “Watching how the older guys prepared and carried themselves really helped me develop.”
Starks said his belief in God keeps him grounded and focused.
“Never give up,” Starks said. “Always trust and believe in God. Go with your first mind and don’t second-guess yourself. Just focus on improving every day.”
As the season continues, Starks stays focused on the team’s goals rather than individual achievements.
“I don’t want to be remembered for anything individually,” Starks said. “I’m here for collective goals. The individual stuff will come behind that. I just want to be the reason why.”
Copy edited by Daryl Thomas Jr.
