CNN  —  NFL Players Association (NFLPA) Executive Director Lloyd Howell Jr. has stepped down from his role amid various controversies, including reports on Friday that he expensed the union for trips to strip clubs. “It’s clear that my leadership has become a distraction to the important work the NFLPA advances every day,” Howell said in a statement late on Thursday night. “For this reason, I have informed the NFLPA Executive Committee that I am stepping down as Executive Director of the NFLPA