NaVorro Bowman

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NaVorro Bowman
refer to caption
Bowman with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016
No. 53
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1988-05-28) May 28, 1988 (age 33)
District Heights, Maryland
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:242 lb (110 kg)
Career information
High school:Suitland (Suitland, Maryland)
College:Penn State
NFL Draft:2010 / Round: 3 / Pick: 91
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:798
Sacks:14.0
Forced fumbles:9
Fumble recoveries:6
Interceptions:5
Defensive touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

NaVorro Roderick Bowman (born May 28, 1988) is a former American football linebacker who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He has also played a season for the Oakland Raiders.

Early years[]

Bowman was born in District Heights, Maryland on May 28, 1988. He started sports at a young age and was a member of District Heights boys and girls club, where he played both basketball and football and was invited to many All-star Events. Bowman was a standout player at Suitland High School in Suitland, Maryland.[1] He missed most of his senior season with a shoulder injury, but he had a very impressive junior campaign in which he recorded 165 tackles, 9 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries as a linebacker and ran for 1,200 yards and 22 touchdowns as a running back. He was named the Maryland Defensive Player-of-the-Year, first-team All-State, Washington Post first-team All-Met and first-team All-Conference. He was recruited to Penn State by Larry Johnson, Sr.

College career[]

Bowman played for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team while attending Pennsylvania State University from 2006 to 2009.

After redshirting the 2006 season, Bowman played in nine games in 2007. He missed two games due to a sprained ankle suffered in a game against Illinois. He recorded 16 tackles, with a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a blocked kick, and a pass breakup that season.[2]

Bowman saw increased playing time in 2008, largely due to the graduation of All-American linebacker Dan Connor and injury to presumptive starter Sean Lee. Despite the attrition, however, Bowman kept the Nittany Lions ranked in the top ten among three primary defensive categories. Individually, Bowman led the Nittany Lions in total tackles (106), solos (61), and assisted tackles (45), was second in tackles for loss (16.5) and tied for third in sacks (4.0). He also forced two fumbles, recovered a fumble, grabbed an interception and had five pass breakups.

His first start came in week four versus Temple. He recorded 11 tackles, including five tackles for loss and three sacks, a forced fumble and an interception in the 45-3 win and was named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week.[3]

He finished the season with a heavy heart and an outstanding performance. Bowman played against Southern California in the 2009 Rose Bowl one day after his high school coach, Nick Lynch, was killed in an automobile accident in Maryland. Bowman responded by breaking the school's bowl record with five tackles for loss (minus-21 yards), and tying the Rose Bowl record set by Ohio State's Andy Katzenmoyer in the 1997 game. He also recorded his fourth sack of the season among his eight tackles (seven solo) against the Trojans. For his superb efforts against USC, Bowman was selected to ESPN.com's 2008-09 All-Bowl team, one of two Big Ten players named to the squad.[4]

At season's end, he was named a first-team All-Big Ten selection.[5]

Awards and honors[]

  • Maryland Defensive PoY (2005)
  • Maryland All-State (2005)
  • Washington Post All-Met (2005)
  • Big Ten Defensive PoW (September 20, 2008), (November 14, 2009)
  • All-Big Ten (2008)

Professional career[]

On January 4, 2010, Bowman's mother announced his decision to forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility and enter the 2010 NFL Draft.[6]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press Wonderlic
6 ft 0+1⁄2 in
(1.84 m) 		242 lb
(110 kg) 		33 in
(0.84 m) 		9+7⁄8 in
(0.25 m)		 4.77 s 1.65 s 4.59 s 6.91 s 29.5 in
(0.75 m)		 9 ft 7 in
(2.92 m)		 26 reps 11
All values from NFL Combine[7]

San Francisco 49ers[]

2010 season: Rookie year[]

On the second day of the 2010 NFL Draft, Bowman was selected in the third round with the 91st overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers. Bowman played in all 16 games in 2010, starting one in place of Patrick Willis, who was ruled out for Week 17 after undergoing a second surgery on his broken right hand. Bowman finished his rookie year with 46 tackles.[8]

2011 season[]

In his second NFL season, Bowman became the starter at inside linebacker with the departure of Takeo Spikes to free agency. Starting all 16 games and playing alongside All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis, Bowman made huge strides and finished the year with 143 tackles, two sacks, eight pass deflections, and three fumble recoveries. In addition, he was also the team leader in tackles, while finishing second in the NFL in solo tackles. With the emergence in Bowman's play, he helped a top-ranked 49ers defense set an NFL single-season record of not allowing a rushing touchdown for 14 games. The previous record was held by the 1920 Decatur Staleys, who did not allow a rushing touchdown in a 13-game season.[citation needed] The 49ers finished with a 13–3 record for an NFC West pennant but lost to the eventual Super Bowl champ New York Giants 17–20 in the NFC Championship Game in overtime. Although he was not voted to the Pro Bowl for his stellar season, he was named to the First-Team All-Pro by the Associated Press. He was also voted No. 85 on NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2012, which recognizes performance from the previous season.[9]

2012 season[]

In the season opener against the Packers, Bowman recorded his first career interception off Aaron Rodgers.

his third season, Bowman and the 49ers appeared in Super Bowl XLVII. In the game, he had nine combined tackles as the 49ers fell to the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 31–34.[10]

2013 season[]

For the third time, Bowman earned First-Team All-Pro honors and was fifth in the league in tackles with 145. On December 23, 2013, live on Monday Night Football, Bowman scored the last touchdown ever at Candlestick Park, intercepting a Matt Ryan pass and returning it 89 yards for a touchdown, sending the 49ers to the playoffs for the third consecutive season. For the 2013 season, Bowman made 16 starts with 145 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions, nine passes defended, six forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

Bowman and the 49ers finished the 2013 season with a 12–4 record. The 49ers defeated the Green Bay Packers 23–20 in the Wild Card round of the playoffs in which Bowman had 10 tackles, and a forced fumble. In the divisional round of the playoffs, they defeated the Carolina Panthers 23–10 behind a strong performance by Bowman, who recorded 11 tackles and 1 sack. San Francisco played the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, with the winner gaining the right to represent the conference in Super Bowl XLVIII. In the fourth quarter of that game, Bowman suffered a serious injury, tearing the ACL and MCL in his left knee.[11] The 49ers went on to lose the game 23-17.

2014 season[]

Bowman's injury caused him to miss the entire 2014 season.

2015 season[]

In 2015, Bowman returned from his knee injury that had kept him out for the previous season. There was significant concern about his health going into 2015, but he started all 16 games for the 49ers. He finished the season with a career-high and league-leading 154 tackles, making his third Pro Bowl appearance and his fourth First-Team All-Pro appearance. He also accounted for 2.5 sacks and two passes defensed.[12] He was ranked 61st on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.[13]

2016 season[]

During a Week 4 game against the Dallas Cowboys, Bowman fell down, gripping the lower back end of his left foot. MRI tests later revealed that Bowman had a torn achilles tendon, causing him to miss the rest of the 2016 season.[14]

2017 season[]

In Week 5 of the 2017 season, Bowman was benched for a few series, and later voiced his displeasure with the decision from the 23–26 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts.[15] On October 13, 2017, Bowman was released from the 49ers at his request after the team was unable to trade him.[16][17]

NaVorro gave his heart and soul to this team for the last eight years, and for that we are all extremely grateful. During that time, NaVorro was a key component of one of the best teams in the League and his passion for the game allowed him to quickly become a favorite of our Faithful fans. Thursday evening, Kyle and I met with NaVorro, and from our conversation it became evident that going in different directions was best for both him and our team. Although NaVorro may be moving on, he will always be looked at as one of the great players to wear the red and gold. We wish him and his family great success.[16]

–John Lynch

Oakland Raiders[]

On October 16, 2017, Bowman signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Oakland Raiders.[18] During Week 12 against the Denver Broncos, Bowman intercepted a pass from quarterback Paxton Lynch in the end zone, giving the Raiders their first interception of the year after not having one in their first 11 weeks under defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. The Raiders eventually won the game by a score of 21-14.[19]

Retirement[]

On June 4, 2019, Bowman announced his retirement from the NFL and retired symbolically with the 49ers.[20]

NFL career statistics[]

Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season[]

General Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
Year Team GP GS Total Solo Ast Sacks PD Int Yds Lng TD FF FR
2010 SF 16 1 46 38 8 0.0 0 — — — — 0 0
2011 SF 16 16 143 111 32 2.0 8 — — — — 0 3
2012 SF 16 16 148 96 52 2.0 6 1 11 11 0 1 0
2013 SF 16 16 145 120 25 5.0 8 2 93 89 1 4 2
2014 SF 0 0 Did not play due to injury
2015 SF 16 16 154 116 38 2.5 2 — — — — 1 0
2016 SF 4 4 35 24 11 1.0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0
2017 SF 5 5 38 22 16 0.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
OAK 10 10 89 58 31 1.5 2 1 0 0 0 0 0
Career 99 84 798 585 213 14.0 29 5 104 89 1 7 5

Postseason[]

General Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
Year Team GP GS Total Solo Ast Sacks PD Int Yds Lng TD FF FR
2011 SF 2 2 25 18 7 0.5 — — — — — 0 —
2012 SF 3 3 19 14 5 0.0 — — — — — 0 —
2013 SF 3 3 35 21 14 2.0 — — — — — 2 —
Career 8 8 79 53 26 2.5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

"NaVorro Bowman Rule"[]

On the play which he suffered his season-ending injury, Bowman stripped Seahawks' wide receiver Jermaine Kearse of the ball near the goal line, and appeared to take over possession. However, the officials ruled the ball to be in possession of the Seahawks. Under the instant replay conditions at the time, the officials were not permitted to take a second look. On March 26, 2014, team owners approved a change that would allow the referees to review the recovery of a loose ball. A similar proposal to allow coaches to question any recovery using one of their challenges was voted down.[21][22]

Personal life[]

Bowman graduated with a degree in crime, law, and justice.[2] Bowman speaks frequently by phone with former Nittany Lion linebacker LaVar Arrington. The two first met during Arrington's stint with the Washington Redskins, when Bowman was playing at nearby Suitland High School.[23] This friendship, along with their similarity in playing styles, has earned Bowman the nickname "LaVorro".[23]

References[]

  1. ^ "Bowman Chooses Penn State". Scout.com. Retrieved September 22, 2008.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "18 Navorro Bowman". Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved September 22, 2008.
  3. ^ "MSU's Ringer Becomes First Offensive Player to Claim Three Straight Weekly Football Honors". Big Ten Conference. September 22, 2008. Archived from the original on September 25, 2008. Retrieved September 22, 2008.
  4. ^ "Navorro Bowman".
  5. ^ "2008 All-Big Ten Conference Football Team: As selected by Conference Coaches" (PDF). GoPSU.com. Retrieved November 25, 2008.
  6. ^ Musselman, Ron (January 5, 2010), "Penn State's Bowman plans to enter NFL draft", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
  7. ^ http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=64621&draftyear=2010&genpos=OLB
  8. ^ "NaVorro Bowman 2010 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  9. ^ "'Top 100 Players of 2012': NaVorro Bowman". NFL.com. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  10. ^ "Super Bowl XLVII - San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens - February 3rd, 2013". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
  11. ^ Alper (January 21, 2014). "Torn ACL and MCL for NaVorro Bowman". profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  12. ^ http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article51208070.html
  13. ^ NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 - No. 61 NaVorro Bowman
  14. ^ "49ers Activate LB Aaron Lynch; Place LB NaVorro Bowman on Injured Reserve". 49ers.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  15. ^ Wagoner, Nick (October 9, 2017). "49ers LB NaVorro Bowman voiced displeasure about getting few series off after game". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b "49ers Release LB NaVorro Bowman". 49ers.com. October 13, 2017.
  17. ^ Patra, Kevin. "Niners release veteran linebacker NaVorro Bowman". NFL.com. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  18. ^ Patra, Kevin (October 16, 2017). "NaVorro Bowman signs 1-year, $3M deal with Raiders". NFL.com.
  19. ^ "Finally! NaVorro Bowman Records Raiders' First Interception of Season". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  20. ^ Gordon, Grant (June 4, 2019). "49ers All-Pro NaVorro Bowman officially retires". NFL.com.
  21. ^ http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/03/26/navorro-bowman-rule-passes-reviewing-everything-fails/
  22. ^ http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/03/24/unsurprisingly-49ers-will-vote-for-the-navorro-bowman-rule/
  23. ^ Jump up to: a b Langenbacher, Josh (October 14, 2008). "Arrington tutors protégé Bowman". The Daily Collegian. Archived from the original on October 16, 2008. Retrieved October 15, 2008.

External links[]

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