When Howard University head coach Larry Scott took over the football program in 2020, he realized his staff lacked a position critical to the team’s success. Recognizing a need for a dedicated recruiting leader, Scott sought someone who understood the program and could connect well with players.
He found that in Janice Pettyjohn, a student who was serving as the football team’s equipment manager at the time. Scott saw her potential to do more and trusted her to handle expanded responsibilities.
In April 2022, at age 22, Pettyjohn was named the director of player personnel and on-campus recruiting, becoming the first woman hired to a full-time football position at Howard. Pettyjohn recruited all the players on Howard’s current roster, which is preparing for the program’s spring game on Saturday.
“Her being a student and now alum and understanding how to navigate some of the areas of being a student while always being involved in athletics was just a classic combination of what was needed,” Scott said.
“Whether it was fresh ideas or new thoughts, she presented them in a way where our challenges weren’t challenges — we used them as strengths. And I don’t think anyone else could have been better at doing that.”
By hiring Pettyjohn for the role, Howard made history and reflected the university’s core values in the process, said David Davis, assistant athletic director of football operations.
“She’s been an innovator, the first woman hired as part of our program, and she’s doing an outstanding job, and it’s right on brand for what Howard University represents,” Davis said. “‘The Mecca,’ where future Black leaders are cultivated, has a history of trailblazers, and she’s following that trajectory.”
In Pettyjohn’s role, her responsibilities range from overseeing the program’s compliance with NCAA regulations to roster management to all aspects of recruiting, including showing prospects and their parents around campus during visits.
Howard’s location in the nation’s capital and its status as one of the top historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) helps Pettyjohn’s efforts to woo local recruits, she said, and she places an emphasis on attracting local talent as part of her overall strategy.
“The biggest focus, first and foremost, is making sure that we’re recruiting at home. We put a very, very, very large focus on local DMV [Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia] recruiting … because you want to keep the superstars at home,” Pettyjohn said.
Beyond promoting Howard’s athletic prowess to recruits, Pettyjohn also encourages them to embrace the university’s strong academic reputation, impressing on prospects – and their parents – an understanding of how earning a degree from the HBCU can open doors far beyond the NFL.
“We’re not selling a dream,” she said. “The same five-pound weight at LSU is the same five-pound weight at Howard. The difference is that a Howard degree carries immense value.”
Darius Fox, a senior offensive lineman, was part of Pettyjohn’s first recruiting class in 2020 and credits her with cultivating a supportive environment.
“She helped me focus on more than just football. Our conversations were about life, not just the game,” Fox said. “That disconnect from football helped me and my teammates navigate college. Over the years, we’ve truly become a family, and she’s the top person responsible for that.”
Since transitioning to her current position, Pettyjohn has helped assemble teams that won back-to-back Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships in 2022 and 2023. A number of players from those championships participated in Howard’s Pro Day last year and this year’s showcase in March, displaying their skills in front of NFL scouts and other team representatives.
“When recruiting, it’s important to show that we can send players to the league,” Pettyjohn said. “The past few years have demonstrated that, especially with our championship wins.”
Historically, women in male-dominated spaces have faced obstacles while proving their worth. Pettyjohn hopes to inspire future generations by emphasizing that success comes from dedication, not identity.
“I don’t feel like I do what I do well because I’m a woman. I feel like I do what I do well because of my work ethic and my passion for this sport,” Pettyjohn said. “Me being a woman is just the extra bonus. … So the advice that I always give young women when they come and they ask me [about working in a male-dominated industry] is, just walk into that room. … You deserve to be there, and God placed you there.”