Naesean Howard
Former Syracuse University football player Naesean Howard was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday morning for stabbing two ex-teammates at an on-campus party last April.
(Nate Mink | nmink@syracuse.com)
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Former Syracuse University football player Naesean Howard was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday morning for stabbing two ex-teammates at an on-campus party last April.
Howard spoke publicly for the first time since being charged in the incident, offering a hurried explanation for why he attacked Chauncey Scissum and Corey Winfield.
"That day wasn't intentional," Howard said. "I was going through mental stress."
His reasoning closely mirrored details he shared with syracuse.com/The Post-Standard in an interview last spring, eight days before the stabbing occurred. In court Friday morning, the 21-year-old Howard again said the two players bullied him during a recruiting visit in winter 2014, lacing his drink and getting him so intoxicated it poisoned his relationship with the coaching staff.
On the day of the attack, Howard said he heard "voices" telling him Scissum and Winfield had a gun and were trying to hurt him.
He said he saw Scissum reach into his pocket, triggering Howard to react in self defense.
"It wasn't like I was trying to kill someone," Howard said. "I was acting out of paranoia."
Howard believes his mental health issues are attributed to concussions he suffered dating back to his youth football days.
Before Judge Robert L. Bauer issued the sentence, he held up a stack of letters from people who knew Howard, each containing glowing words about Howard's character up until this incident.
Howard's mother sat in the back of the courtroom, wiping away tears.
In his remarks to the court, assistant district attorney Michael Manfredi said multiple lives were ruined that April afternoon.
Like Scissum, Howard was an accomplished football prospect out of Central New York who achieved his dream of earning a Division I scholarship.
"This victim of ours had football dreams as well," Manfredi said, referring to Scissum, "and it's not just that they were merely ruined that day, but he was almost killed."
Manfredi sought a 20-year prison sentence in the case.
"You deserve punishment for what you did," said Bauer, the judge, "but there's something there worth rehabilitating."
As part of Howard's sentence, he is not allowed to have any contact with Scissum or Winfield and waived his right to appeal.
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