Why Not Us: Howard Golf premiered on Monday, Aug. 21, on ESPN Platforms and via an exclusive screening for Howard University students at Cramton Auditorium on the Washington, D.C., campus.
SportsCenter anchor and Howard Class of ’89 alum Stan Verrett moderated a panel after the screening.
In the video above and supporting text here, Front Row asked Verrett to talk about Why Not Us: Howard Golf, his golf game, and playing with series executive producer and NBA superstar Steph Curry.
Verrett, who is a 9.5 handicap golfer, recalls his most memorable shot alongside some of his Howard classmates.
“We came to homecoming one year, and we had all just started taking up golf,” said Verrett. “Whoever won that day would have bragging rights forever, no matter how good the rest of us got one day.”
Verrett hit a 5-iron over the water onto the 18th green, missed the birdie putt, but made the par putt and beat one of his classmates by one stroke. He still has a shirt from Whiskey Creek Golf Club as a reminder.
He has also been lucky enough to play with legendary amateur golfer Curry – not in the same foursome, but at the Golden State Warriors guard’s tournament in Northern California a few years ago and at the Howard Golf team fundraiser tournament in Pebble Beach, Calif.
While @howardu alums were celebrating the school at the @BETAwards we were simultaneously raising money for Howard Golf with the help of program benefactor @stephencurry30 and @PebbleBeachGolf at “Bison at the Beach.” HU!!! pic.twitter.com/wbo77vC2OB
— stan verrett (@stanverrett) June 27, 2022
“He played a few holes with us one year, but you know he’s sort of a ceremonial presence there,” said Verrett, who interviewed Curry Monday for SportsCenter (see video below).
Why Not Us: Howard Golf follows the men’s and women’s golf teams at Howard University as the student-athletes and their coaches navigate the challenges and triumphs of an emerging NCAA Division I program. With an aim toward building a golf legacy that drives a cultural shift in the sport, Howard Golf seems primed to compete for championships at top college tournaments nationwide.
Spencer T. Jackson and Cayla Sweazie produced the Verrett interview video
The show open and key art for Why Not Us: Howard Golf were created by Leon Belt, ESPN Associate Art Director and Howard (2005) graduate.
What was it like working on a show open featuring your alma mater? Did you approach it differently than other projects?
I’ve created show opens and key art for each season of this series, but I felt a responsibility to capture the unique energy of Howard’s campus and students. My goal was to reflect the abilities of these talented athletes, and from concept to execution, I wanted to elevate what we had done in the past. Filming the athletes “in the yard” golfing in the middle of the campus felt like the best way to showcase the students and the school.
Why Not Us: Howard Golf, the fourth season of the acclaimed Why Not Us series from Andscape, FILM 45, and ESPN+ Originals, premiered this Monday, Aug. 21, with Episodes 1-4 available to stream on ESPN+. Learn more about the series on ESPN Press Room.
Howard golfers Everett Whiten Jr. and Kendall Jackson. (Cayla Sweazie/ESPN)
