You probably would never guess the player Xavien Howard grew up trying to emulate

MIAMI GARDENS — Coming up through the ranks, there were plenty of players for him to look up to.

Champ Bailey? The eventual Hall of Famer would have made perfect sense.

Darrelle Revis? Absolutely, considering the way Xavien Howard plays on an island himself.

Neither cornerback was who young Howard emulated.

“RGIII,” Howard said. “That’s who I thought I was.”

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Yes. One of the primary tormentors of quarterbacks today pictured himself as another Robert Griffin III. This is a good thing for the Dolphins, because it has plenty to do with how Xavien Howard I is able to intercept so many passes. His experience playing skill positions on offense helps him think like a quarterback and have the ball skills of a wide receiver, which he also played in a former life. What is a pass break-up for most is an opportunity at an interception for him.

“Yes, I feel like it does help me,” Howard said. “I played everything, so playing receiver also helped me, just looking back and finding the ball. I feel like a lot of cornerbacks panic when the ball is in the air and that’s probably what I do well is just look back. No matter if I’m beat or not, I try to make a play on the ball.”

Dolphins receiver Will Fuller said he once received valuable advice from Randy Moss about quickly finding the ball in the air rather than looking back at the quarterback.

“That’s the mindset I have,” Howard said. “I try to look up because the ball is in the air. Especially being in the NFL, a lot of guys like Russell Wilson are throwing moon balls, so you’ve got to be prepared for stuff like that.”

‘I did my thing' as prep player

Howard was a defensive back/quarterback at Wheatley High in Houston, making All-State after finishing his senior season with nine interceptions and 33 pass break-ups.

“I ran a lot,” Howard said. “I wasn’t passing that much. I really was like a zone-read quarterback. It was decent. I’ve got to look it (the stats) up. I forgot. But I did my thing.”

Howard is a big reason the Dolphins enter Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills leading the division at 1-0. With 3 1/2 minutes left and New England in position for a game-winning field goal last weekend, Howard forced a fumble and recovered it against Patriots running back Damien Harris, allowing the Dolphins to run out the clock.

Howard didn’t finish the game with an interception, but he did finish with a win.

“I feel like teams are going to try me,” he said. “I feel like some teams probably (try to) lull me to sleep. Some teams probably give me less opportunities to try to intercept the ball.”

Allen had rough opening day

Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen will be looking to rebound from a loss to Pittsburgh in which he fumbled twice and was sacked three times.

“Just seeing him from his rookie year, he’s taken a big jump each year,” Howard said. “I feel like he was a top-five quarterback last year.”

Allen won’t be the only one on the field trying to erase a bad taste Sunday. The Bills ended the Dolphins’ 2020 season with a 56-26 shellacking in January in Orchard Park.

“I’m definitely not looking back,” Howard said. “But it’s in my head, though — what they did last year.”