With the 19th pick in this year's NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected O.J. Howard, marking only the second time a tight end's been taken in the first twenty picks since 2010. Watch his performances against Clemson in the last two National Championships and it's easy to see why.

But long before NFL scouts knew his name, Howard had to battle for recognition at tiny Autauga Academy in Prattville, Alabama.

Rezoning moved him away from a powerhouse

Howard would have been on display for college recruiters if he ended up at Prattville High School like he expected to. After spending a summer working out with football players from the high school he thought he’d attend, rezoning moved him to Autauga Academy — a school with 273 students compared to the 2,033 students at Prattville.

"We’re talking about a 6A, three-peat, ESPN games, ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time," Howard said. "And now I go to a school that’s 1A ... there’s no way I’m going to get recruited from this small school. I didn’t want to go."

While the Howard family considered moving to make sure he could shine at Prattville, they stuck it out at Autauga and he caught the eye of recruiters anyway.

Howard was a ‘man among boys’ in high school

It’s not surprising, given the amount of physical talent that Howard has, that he shined right away in high school.

"He was a man among boys," Autauga baseball coach Joe Faulk said. "It was funny almost."

The lack of eyeballs on Autauga games kept Howard under the radar for a little while, but his performances in camps against other top recruits in the area made recruiters take notice. And it wasn’t long before the offers from big programs started rolling in.

Cam Newton and Auburn were Howard’s favorites

Before Howard joined Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide, he had dreams of following in Cam Newton’s footsteps at Auburn, despite the fact that the rest of his family rooted for Alabama.

"When Auburn won the national championship and the newspaper clipping came out ... he hung it on his door," Howard’s mother, Lamesa Howard, said. "And so we had to walk by it all the time and look at those Auburn pictures hanging up there."

He was motivated by the play of Newton who once inspired a Superman celebration by Howard. But the welcoming environment of Alabama convinced him that Tuscaloosa was the place for him.

National championship was his coming out party

While Howard was the top tight end recruit in the nation, he wasn’t featured heavily in the Alabama offense. He had two touchdowns as a freshman, but zero as a sophomore and didn’t score his junior year until the national championship against Clemson.

"It was kind of emotional for me," Howard said. "I knew how hard I had worked all year long and to finally have it happen in the biggest game of the year — there’s no better feeling than that."

Howard’s five receptions for 208 yards and two touchdowns propelled Alabama to a 45-40 win, and while the Crimson Tide couldn’t repeat in 2016, he still posted four receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown in the rematch against Clemson.

Now, Howard will continue his climb into the spotlight - this time in a Tampa Bay uniform.