Junior defender and midfielder Hamilton Howes is an imposing figure on the soccer field.
At 6’3” and 190 pounds, the Virginia Beach native carries himself with the air of a player who refuses to be rattled. This season, he ranks second on the team in goals scored, an impressive feat for someone whose positions often demand defensive effort and intensity.
Yet behind that strength lies the heartbreak of an injury he suffered during an October 2024 game against Elon. Less than a year ago, Howes was sidelined by a painful posterior cruciate ligament tear. On what seemed like a routine play, his season ended in an instant.
“On a corner kick against Elon, one of the defenders actually fell on my knee, and I felt something,” Howes recalled. “I got up and then ran, and then my knee kind of gave out. I knew something was wrong.”
The timing could not have been worse. When the injury happened, Howes was a sophomore, a year often critical in the development of college athletes. Typically, players refine their skills in their second years, earning starting roles and building toward leadership opportunities in later seasons. Instead, Howes faced months of immobility and recovery sessions.
William and Mary finished the 2024 season with a 5-10-1 record. The campaign featured “some good moments,” as Howes puts it, but its outcome was ultimately disappointing. For Howes, the emotions associated with the Tribe’s performance were exacerbated by the frustrating experience of being unable to compete alongside his teammates.
“It sucks just having to sit on the bench and not being able to … do what you love,” he said. “I’ve been playing soccer my whole life. So, it was definitely hard sitting there watching and not being able to play.”
Howes tried returning in the spring, wearing a brace and testing the stability of his knee, but it quickly became clear he wasn’t ready. The setback was disheartening, but he made the difficult decision to step back once more and dedicate himself fully to rehabilitation.
“I ended up coming back in the spring and wasn’t ready, even coming back with a brace,” Howes said. “So, I actually took the whole spring off to rehab more.”
His discipline and patience carried him into the summer, when he finally began to feel like himself again. Playing in a semi-professional league, he returned to the game without the brace for the first time since the injury and was able to compete without feeling any pain.
The path back was not one he walked alone. Howes credits his parents as crucial figures in his recovery process.
“Some of the biggest support I had was definitely my parents, especially over the summer,” Howes said. “They helped me rehab at [Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters], and it was like two to three times a week — working with a trainer one on one.”
Howes also expressed gratitude towards his teammates, who rallied behind him, checked on him and made sure he was ready to get back on the field when the time came.
“My teammates [were] always reaching out, seeing if I [was] good and keeping up with me,” Howes said. “That was another big support. They were always there for me if I needed to talk.”
By the time preseason rolled around, Howes was ready, having spent months carefully building back his strength.
“I rehabbed every day and lifted. I did as much as I could to come back faster,” Howes said. “I came back for preseason, and everything went well.”
Still, the memory of the injury lingers. Even during warm-ups, Howes remains acutely aware of what can happen when the body gives way. He now takes extra care to protect himself.
“I have to warm up my knee so it’s not stiff and tight,” Howes said. “That’s a big thing for me. I’ll roll out, I’ll use a little Icy Hot. I know I could get hurt again, so I think a big role is keeping it healthy.”
Despite his extended absence from the field, Howes describes his current form as better than ever, a sentiment William and Mary head coach Chris Norris ’95 echoed when Howes scored a goal against Rutgers Sept. 1.
“When I first came back from the spring, I couldn’t move the same,” Howes said. “Now being able to do that feels great, and I feel very, very good — like 120%.”
With the 2025 season underway, Howes has clear goals: consistency, durability and persistence, wanting to “play the whole season without getting hurt” as well as play 90 minutes a game “without going down.”
So far, Howes has met the expectations he set for himself, starting in all of William and Mary’s games while ranking second on the team in goals. Although it is not a role he gets to fill often, Howes enjoys acting as an attacker.
“It feels great,” Howes said. “I love to get into the box and attack when I can. As much defending as I do, I do love to get up and get forward. It’s really cool and I hope to get some more.”
Despite the individual successes of Howes and others, William and Mary (0-4-3, 0-2-1, CAA) has endured a rough start and is still searching for its first win. However, Howes remains confident that his squad is on the verge of turning things around.
“Getting our first win — that’s a huge thing,” Howes said. “I think we are good enough. We’ve had a little bit of a tough start, but I want to get that first one. I think if we get some motivation and confidence, we can do it.”
Tuesday, Sept. 23, William and Mary will face in-state rival Old Dominion (2-3-2, 0-1 Sun Belt) at Martin Family Stadium in Williamsburg, Va., a matchup that could provide the Tribe with the momentum it has been searching for.
