Age: 21
College: Mississippi
Height: 6’4” Weight: 317
Prelude:
Bowens was
taken by the Dolphins in the first round of the 1994 NFL draft (20th
overall) despite concerns about his weight and having played only nine games at
the major college level. Still, he had performed well in pre-draft workouts and
it was hoped that he would be able to dominate from the inside of the defensive
line. While his lack of experience was apparent in his pass rushing during his
rookie year, he excelled at stuffing the run.
1994 Season Summary
Appeared in
all 16 games
(Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20)
Sacks – 3
Most sacks,
game – 1 at Minnesota 9/25, at NY Jets 11/27, vs. Detroit 12/25
Interceptions
– 0
Fumble recoveries
– 0
Forced fumbles
– 2
Tackles – 44
Assists – 8
Postseason: 2 G
Sacks – 0
Interceptions
– 0
TD – 0
Awards &
Honors:
NFL Defensive
Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA
2nd
team All-AFC: UPI
Dolphins went
10-6 to finish first in the AFC East. Won AFC Wild Card playoff over Kansas
City Chiefs (27-17). Lost Divisional playoff to San Diego Chargers (22-21).
Aftermath:
The next few
seasons featured uneven play from Bowens, in which he dominated at times but
not consistently. However, he broke out with a Pro Bowl season in 1998 as the
Dolphins ranked third in defense. Bowens continued to give Miami solid play in
the middle of the defensive line. While he struggled with his weight, he could
be surprisingly quick in spurts. He was selected to a second Pro Bowl in 2002
but a back injury limited him to two games in 2004, his last season. Always far
better against the run than the pass during his 11-season career, Bowens had a
total of 22 sacks and was twice selected to the Pro Bowl. While widely
perceived to be a risky first-round draft choice in 1994, he went on to have a
solid pro career.
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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie
of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by
a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper
Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the
league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year).
