FORT WORTH, Texas — As David Howard walked through his field, he smiled ear-to-eat.
“This was a great season,” Howard said.
It’s not football the former Cowboys player is referring to.
Howard played NFL linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and Minnesota Vikings in the 1980s. After retirement, he became a restaurant owner.
He knew there was more he needed to do to fulfill his life’s purpose. Howard remembers community events in Stop Six during his time with the Cowboys.
The neighborhood became his home after retirement, and it’s where he and his wife raised their children.
“I said ‘Honey, I found a place that you would be very proud of me.’ I said, ‘It’s on Rosedale.’ She responded, ‘Rosedale? That’s in Stop Six, Oh I'm not going back to the hood,’” Howard said.
It’s where they planted roots, and where his family remains today.
Stop Six, located in South Fort Worth, is a food desert that has struggled with high crime rates for decades. Where others might have seen danger, Howard saw potential.
“I think we can have a special neighborhood if everybody buys into the concept of community,” Howard said. “Community is everything. A collection of people working for one goal. That sounds like the NFL, all of us working together to create something special.”
For 25 years, the tough linebacker whose aim was to stop others from scoring is now focused on helping his community advance.
“We just need to work together,” Howard said. “Instead of complaining, let’s fix it.”
Howard has begun a community garden, where he teaches neighbors to plant, grow, and cook fresh food. He’s looking to open a community market in a building along E Rosedale St. that he purchased decades ago. It comes as the area undergoes a major revitalization by the city.
“It feels good because I know I’m doing something. I get a chance to give. I was raised to believe service is the price to pay for the space we occupy,” Howard said. “Everyone should find a way to serve.”
He serves by sowing seeds. Knowing over time, hard work and patience will bring the community its harvest.
