Will Howard’s girlfriend was in tears when the Buckeyes quarterback connected with receiver Jeremiah Smith late in the fourth quarter to seal Ohio State’s 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday.
Howard, who is fairly private about his personal life, is said to have started dating Lauren Leiker in 2023.
ESPN cameras captured Leiker, clad in a red and white moto jacket, celebrating with Howard’s parents, Bob and Maureen Howard, in the stands at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Leiker was seen with her hand on her chest as she appeared to yell, “Oh my God!”
The couple reportedly met while they were both students at Kansas State University before Howard transferred to Ohio State ahead of the 2024 season.
Leiker lives in Kansas where she works as a medical assistant at Johnson County Dermatology, according to her LinkedIn profile.
While Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard and Co. fought back to cut the lead to eight in the fourth quarter, Howard’s huge third-down pass to Smith sealed their win.
With less than three minutes to go, Howard hit Smith for 56 yards on a third-and-11.
The Fighting Irish made it a one-score game after trailing 31-7, scoring two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions late in the fourth quarter.
Howard proved to be clutch down the stretch and led the Buckeyes to their first national title since 2014.
The 23-year-old was named Offensive MVP of the game.
Howard completed 17-of-21 passes for 231 yards, two touchdowns and 57 rushing yards.
His 13 straight completions to start the game was an all-time record for a national championship game.
This story originally appeared on NY Post
