By John Frierson
Staff Writer

The first thing that hits you when Georgia men's basketball freshman Rodney Howard walks toward you is his size. The big man from Ypsilanti, Mich., is listed at 6-foot-11 and seems maybe taller. Then he shakes your hard and your average-sized mitt disappears.

The next thing that hits you is his voice, so deep and melodious that you immediately think he could have a career in music or broadcasting if he so desired. During a Quick Chat before a recent practice, Howard talked about his voice, his size, his late start in basketball and much more.

Here's some of what he had to say: 

Frierson: That's a heck of a voice you've got. How often do people comment on it?

Howard: A lot; a lot of people ask me if I'm a singer. Some people say I sound like the guy in the Allstate commercials.

Frierson: How has your first semester of college been?

Howard: It's going pretty well, it's been better than I thought it would go. I started off a little slow and then I picked it up.

Frierson: Between school and basketball and everything else, what's been the biggest adjustment for you?

Howard: I'd say time management — I'm not used to weights in the morning and then right after that it's class, class, then practice, then study hall. And then doing the same thing the next day.

Frierson: Are you finding any time to put your feet up and turn your brain off for a while?

Howard: At night after study hall, I can sometimes do it. I'll probably watch some TV shows, I'll watch "Power," "Chicago P.D." or something on Netflix.

Frierson: Tell me about you and basketball, because I know it wasn't your sport until you were in high school.

Howard: I started playing basketball when I was a sophomore in high school, which is pretty late. I played football from sixth grade through ninth grade year.

Frierson: Did you think football was where your future was?

Howard: I really did, yeah. My dad passed away my freshman year ... and I met this AAU coach, and he kept calling my mom, saying he wanted me to play basketball and come try out for the team. He's one of our closest friends now and he always checks on me, and his stepson goes to Mercer, he's a freshman too. So that's how I got started.

I loved playing football, I played defensive end, but the only thing I hated was it was either too hot or it was too cold. I'm originally from Michigan so I was kind of used to (the cold), but it's not fun getting hit or hitting somebody when it's cold.

Frierson: When did you become, for lack of a better word, big? Was there one really big growth spurt?

Howard: I was always big for my age but I think my biggest growth spurt was six inches in one year, like my freshman year or something like that.

Frierson: What is it like physically to go through that? I would imagine it can be fairly painful or awkward.

Howard: I really didn't feel it. I don't have knee problems, I'm not trying to jinx it, but I had back problems last year — but it's been way better since I got to Georgia.

Frierson: Do you remember your first dunk?

Howard: Yeah, the first dunk I got was a fall-league game my 10th-grade year. And right after I dunked, a fight just broke out and they called the game and everybody went home. I don't know what happened, I think we were beating them by like 20 and they got mad.

Frierson: Breakfast, lunch or dinner?

Howard: I'm going have to go with dinner — maybe lunch, nah, dinner. I love lemon-pepper wings, that's like my favorite. When I go home, my mom knows to make it.

Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?

Howard: Ooh, we have a lot of funny people on the team. If I had to pick one person, it would probably be Tyree (Crump). But then again you've got Jordan (Harris) and you've got Ant (Anthony Edwards). I'll probably go with Tyree.

Frierson: We're heading toward the holidays, so what's the best present you've ever received?

Howard: The best present is probably my car. My mom surprised me with that, it was a Charger. I didn't think I would get a Charger or anything like that or close to it. That's probably my best present.

Frierson: It's funny, I've never really thought about how hard it might be for a guy your size to pick out a car. I'm guessing you can't fit into a lot of them, or at least not comfortably enough to want to have one.

Howard: The Charger's got a lot of room to it, it's just that nobody can really sit behind me.

Frierson: For you, that's probably every car.

Howard: Yeah, that's true, that's how it is.

Frierson: Do you ever wish you were 6-2 or something, so you don't have to deal with a lot of the things you do, even something as simple as no longer having to duck through every doorway?

Howard: I couldn't tell you how many times I've smacked my head when I'm not paying attention when I walk through a door. I think I've got a bruise right here (on his forehead) right now.

Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there something you do or wish you could do?

Howard: I wish I could draw. My mom's side of the family, almost everybody can draw. I think that talent skipped me.

Frierson: When it comes to playing college basketball, what has been the biggest surprise so far?

Howard: One thing I do love about college basketball is how engaged our fans are at the game. That's really exciting. I look up and almost all the seats are filled and they're all entertained and engaged and into the game. I never had been in an environment like that before I got here.

(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)

John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.