Villanova Univeristy Athletics

A native of Philadelphia who played both football and baseball during his collegiate career, John Howlett was part of three successful Villanova teams during the head coaching career of Maurice “Clipper” Smith. He played on the Wildcats varsity squad from 1937-39 and is a 1940 Villanova graduate. Howlett was inducted to the Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1990.
 
During his varsity years Howlett helped Villanova go 22-2-2 (.885). That included nearly all of the Wildcats program record 22-game unbeaten streak (19-0-3) which began in 1936 and spanned consecutive undefeated seasons of 8-0-1 in 1937 and 1938. Notable wins in Howlett’s first varsity season were a 25-7 win over Marquette at Shibe Park and three straight road shutouts to end the season against Boston University, Temple and Loyola (Calif.).
 
The unbeaten stretch continued for the Wildcats in 1938 with a 25-6 win over Auburn at Shibe Park and a 242-50 scoring margin on the year (the 1937 squad had a 185-7 scoring margin in nine games played). After a 40-0 win over South Carolina in Philadelphia in the second game of the 1939 campaign, Villanova’s unbeaten streak ended with a 33-7 loss to Texas A&M in Tyler, Texas a week later.  The team rebounded with wins over Arkansas and at Detroit in the next two games.
 
Howlett played three years of varsity football and baseball after being a member of each squad’s freshman team in 1936. Known as “Buzz” and for being among the best-dressed students on campus, Howlett also played intramurals for three years. He graduated with a degree in Biology.