• POSITION: Linebacker
• AGE: 25
• DRAFT: Fifth round, 147th overall
• COLLEGE: Iowa State
• HEIGHT: 6-1
• WEIGHT: 222
• HOMETOWN: East Orange, New Jersey
•••
Alvin Bowen was looking for a way to stand out at Bills training camp. That fateful August day when he laid on the St. John Fisher turf wasn’t what he had in mind.
The rookie linebacker from Iowa State might have been on his way to earning a roster spot when his knee buckled, and he suffered a season-ending injury that will keep him out at least until the team returns to training camp in Pittsford in 2009.
This after Bowen had faced long odds to get to a National Football League camp. Bowen redshirted at Garden City Community College in 2003, then used his only junior college season to lead the team in tackles. He went on to standout at Iowa State, leading the nation in tackles per game as a junior. After his senior year, Bowen was named second-team all-Big XII with 99 tackles and five forced fumbles.
He came into camp ready and raring to find his niche, and was, by all accounts, leaving a mark on the coaching staff.
“I wouldn’t want to over-exaggerate or under-play his progress, he was doing well,” Bills coach Dick Jauron said. “He’s a rookie so it’s very different for him, he had lots of stuff thrown at him and he was working really hard at it.”
And although his frame is a little undersized for NFL linebacker — 6-foot-1, 222 pounds — Bowen was impressing coaches with his ability to cover kicks.
“His deal, like a lot of young players, is special teams. And you just don’t know how they’ll do until they get into the real thing. I anticipated that he’d do real well in the area,” Jauron said. “Again, it’s just unfortunate from every angle, but hopefully he’ll recover and go on and spend a year getting stronger and bigger and come back next year.”
Paul Posluszny understands the frustration of watching from the sideline as a rookie. Posluszny broke his forearm in the third game last year after winning the starting middle linebacker position. Posluszny believes with encouragement, Bowen can be a contributor in the future.
“He’s a hard worker, he listens to everything the coaches say and he just wants to do his part and help this team out,” Paul Posluszny said. “And I think he’ll still have the opportunity to do that.”
As for Bowen, the road is tough, but not impossible. He was officially put on the injured reserve list on Aug. 7, and will have another chance to make the roster next year. The former Iowa State has battled through long odds before.
“I’d like to be remembered as somebody who played with his heart. Who played for his teammates,” Bowen said after his senior season at Iowa State. “Coming from where I’ve come from and reaching how far I’ve reached. It’s amazing.”
Rookie Cards
Related Photos
August 19, 2008
BILLS: Alvin Bowen Rookie Card
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BILLS: Alvin Bowen Rookie Card
• POSITION: Linebacker
• AGE: 25
• DRAFT: Fifth round, 147th overall
• COLLEGE: Iowa State
• HEIGHT: 6-1
• WEIGHT: 222
• HOMETOWN: East Orange, New Jersey -
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