Adarius Bowman
No. -- Retired | |
Born: | Edmonton Eskimos | July 10, 1985
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2018 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
2018 | Montreal Alouettes |
2022* | Edmonton Elks |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Career stats | |
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Adarius Bowman (born July 10, 1985) is a former American professional
Early years
Bowman was ranked by ESPN as the top wide receiver in Tennessee while playing at
In high school, Bowman excelled in track and basketball. In track, he won state titles in the 4x100 relay and triple jump. He also was selected to play in the annual Tennessee vs. Georgia game in his senior year of basketball.
College career
North Carolina
After graduating from high school, Bowman began his collegiate career at North Carolina. As a true freshman, Bowman played in all 12 games but only started 2. During the span of the 12 games, he netted 181 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Although he had played in every game the previous season, Bowman only saw action 6 times during the 2004 season. Despite playing in fewer games than in the previous season, he managed to amass 329 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.
Oklahoma State
Between the 2004 and 2005 seasons, Bowman transferred to Oklahoma State, where he would become a college football standout under first-year head coach Mike Gundy. He was redshirted during his junior year, but was back on the field in 2006.
In his first game in an Oklahoma State uniform, a 52–10 win over Missouri State, Bowman reeled in a 19-yard touchdown plus two other passes totaling 28 yards. A few weeks later, in the game against Kansas that came to define his career, he pulled down 13 passes totaling a Big 12 record 300 yards. His four touchdowns, including a 64-yarder from Bobby Reid, made him a candidate for ESPN's College Football Player of the Week. By the end of the season, he had caught 60 passes—51 of which resulted in first down or touchdown yardage.
After the season ended, Bowman was named Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year by both the Associated Press and the Big 12 coaches. At the team's football banquet, he was presented with the Bob Fenimore Award, which is presented annually to Oklahoma State's Most Valuable Player.
Going into his senior season, Bowman was ranked as one of the top receiver prospects in the 2008 NFL Draft. Mel Kiper Jr. ranked him as the 19th overall senior prospect before the season.[1] He had a rather disappointing season in 2007, only catching 61 passes for 932 yards and 7 touchdowns.[2]
Professional career
2008 NFL Draft
Bowman was once regarded as a potential first-round pick in the
Saskatchewan Roughriders
After failing to sign with an NFL team following the 2008 NFL Draft, Bowman signed a contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in May 2008. Bowman erupted for 112 yards and a touchdown on six catches in his debut for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. His 73-yard TD clinched Saskatchewan's win over the Edmonton Eskimos.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Bowman was traded to the
Edmonton Eskimos
On January 19, 2011, Bowman was signed by the
Bowman's 2014 CFL season was the best season of his career at that time, as Bowman led the league in receiving yards with 1,456, which was 376 yards ahead of second place. His 112 receptions were the most since Jamel Richardson's 112-catch season in 2011. Bowman followed up a strong 2014 season with another strong year in 2015. Adarius Bowman played in all but 2 of the regular season games in 2015; finishing the year with 93 receptions for 1,304 yards with 7 touchdowns. Bowman was named a CFL All-star for the 2015 campaign; his second year in a row. The Eskimos prevented Bowman from becoming a free-agent when they signed him to a new contract that will keep him playing in Edmonton through the 2017 CFL season. Bowman led the CFL in both receptions (120) and yards (1,761) in the 2016 season, setting career highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns (9). He was named a CFL All-Star for the third consecutive season. At the end of January 2017, he signed a contract extension keeping him with the Eskimos through the 2018 CFL season.[8] The new contract made Bowman the highest paid receiver in the league. The deal included a $140,000 signing bonus with a base salary of $260,000 for 2017, and increasing by $5,000 in 2018.[9] After playing in the first three games of the 2017 season Bowman was placed on the six-game injured list with a hamstring injury.[10] Following the season, on February 5, 2018, Bowman was released by the Eskimos; the same day he was set to receive a $140,000 roster bonus.[11]
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (II)
Only four days after being released by the Eskimos, Bowman signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.[12] He played in six games for the Blue Bombers, registering receptions in only three of those games with no touchdowns.[13]
Montreal Alouettes
Following a slow start to the 2018 season, Bowman was traded to the Montreal Alouettes on July 23, 2018, to replace the recently traded Chris Williams. In 11 games with Montreal, Bowman recorded 30 catches for 372 yards, including catching the first CFL touchdown pass thrown by Johnny Manziel courtesy of a trick play. He was not re-signed following the season and became a free-agent in February 2019. Bowman announced his retirement from professional football on October 17, 2019.[14]
Edmonton Elks
On January 26, 2022, the Edmonton Elks announced Bowman (age 36) would be coming out of retirement and returning for the 2022 CFL season.[15] This ultimately proved to be short lived as Bowman announced his retirement on March 16, 2022.[16]
Career statistics
Receiving | Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | Games | No. | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | Games | No. | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | ||||||
2008 | SSK | 9 | 23 | 358 | 15.6 | 73 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 13 | 0 | ||||||
2009 | WPG | 15 | 55 | 925 | 16.8 | 55 | 6 | Team did not qualify | |||||||||||
2010 | WPG | 12 | 50 | 691 | 13.8 | 63 | 3 | Team did not qualify | |||||||||||
2011 | EDM | 14 | 62 | 1,153 | 18.6 | 74 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 146 | 20.9 | 56 | 0 | ||||||
2012 | EDM | 2 | 9 | 145 | 16.1 | 38 | 0 | Placed on injured reserve | |||||||||||
2013 | EDM | 9 | 44 | 697 | 15.8 | 71 | 5 | Team did not qualify | |||||||||||
2014 | EDM | 17 | 112 | 1,456 | 13.0 | 49 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 156 | 12.0 | 17 | 1 | ||||||
2015 | EDM | 17 | 93 | 1,304 | 14.0 | 69 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 74 | 12.3 | 23 | 1 | ||||||
2016 | EDM | 17 | 120 | 1,761 | 14.7 | 63 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 114 | 19.0 | 57 | 2 | ||||||
2017 | EDM | 12 | 45 | 534 | 11.9 | 45 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 97 | 19.4 | 42 | 2 | ||||||
2018 | WPG | 6 | 9 | 95 | 10.6 | 25 | 0 | Not with team | |||||||||||
2018 | MTL | 11 | 30 | 372 | 12.4 | 47 | 1 | Team did not qualify | |||||||||||
CFL totals | 141 | 652 | 9,491 | 14.6 | 74 | 49 | 10 | 40 | 622 | 15.0 | 57 | 6 |
References
- ^ courier-journal.com | Rick Bozich blog | The Courier-Journal
- ^ Adarius Bowman Archived May 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=338074 Blue Bombers release receiver Bowman
- ^ https://www.cfl.ca/article/eskimos-bring-bowman-aboard Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine Eskimos bring Bowman aboard
- ^ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=400275 Season ending injury
- ^ 2013 Season review, and upcoming free-agency Archived January 16, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Bowman handed 2-year extension by Eskimos". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-12-02.
- ^ "Eskimos extend SB Bowman through 2018 – Article – TSN". TSN. 2017-01-31. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
- ^ "Adarius Bowman's new deal makes him highest paid receiver in CFL". 3DownNation. 2017-02-06. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ "Report: Eskimos place Bowman on 6-game". CFL.ca. 2017-07-20. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ^ "Eskimos release Bowman, extend Hazelton – Article – TSN". TSN. 2018-02-05. Retrieved 2018-02-05.
- ^ "Bombers, Adarius Bowman sign one-year deal – CFL.ca". CFL.ca. 2018-02-09. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
- ^ "Adarius Bowman traded to Montreal Alouettes". bluebombers.com. 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
- ^ TSN ca Staff (2019-10-17). "Long-time Edmonton Eskimos WR Adarius Bowman announces retirement - TSN.ca". TSN. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
- ^ "Elks add several big names". Edmonton Elks. January 26, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ TSN ca Staff (2022-03-16). "Elks' Bowman announces retirement - TSN.ca". TSN. Retrieved 2022-03-17.