Adarius Bowman (born July 10, 1985) is a former American professional
gridiron football wide receiver in the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(CFL). He was signed by the
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in ...
as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 2008. Bowman has also been a member
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...
,
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes (French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Canad ...
, and
Edmonton Eskimos/Elks. He played
college football at
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
. Bowman was a Grey Cup Champion and three time CFL All-Star having accumulated 652 receptions for 9,491 yards and 49 touchdowns in 141 career games.
Early years
Bowman was ranked by ESPN as the top wide receiver in Tennessee while playing at
Notre Dame High School. Not only did he catch passes on offense, but also had 4 interceptions and 75 tackles as a junior on defense. Bowman had 293 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns (a losing effort) in a 2001 game against
The McCallie School
The McCallie School is a boys college-preparatory school located on Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. The school was founded in 1905 and now has 250 boarding students in grades 9–12 and 669 day students in grades 6–12 ...
, the eventual
TSSAA
The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA), along with the affiliated Tennessee Middle School Athletic Association (TMSAA), is an organization which administers junior and senior high school sporting events in Tennessee. The TSSAA ...
Division II-AAA Champions. He played in the 2003
U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
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
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
. 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
Michael Ray Gundy (born August 12, 1967) is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Oklahoma State University. Gundy played college football at Oklahoma State, where he played quarterback from 1986 to 1989. ...
. 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
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
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. He had a rather disappointing season in 2007, only catching 61 passes for 932 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Professional career
2008 NFL Draft
Bowman was once regarded as a potential first-round pick in the
2008 NFL Draft, but a string of events led to him going undrafted. First, an injury suffered against Kansas after a hit by future NFL player
Aqib Talib
Aqib Talib (born February 13, 1986) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at the University of Kansas, where he received consensus All-American honors, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first ro ...
caused him to miss the final two games of the regular season and scouts to question his durability. Next, poor performances at the
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...
and practices preceding it caused his stock to drop further. At the 2008
NFL Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foo ...
, he ran a 4.74 40 yard dash, and had an even slower time at Oklahoma State's Pro Day. However, he was still projected as a late-round draft pick. After going undrafted, he also went unsigned as a rookie free agent, despite drawing interest by the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
and
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
After failing to sign with an NFL team following the 2008 NFL Draft, Bowman signed a contract with the
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(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
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...
from the Saskatchewan Roughriders on April 1, 2009. He was traded along with non-import offensive lineman
Jean-Francois Morin-Roberge, and non-import safety
Brady Browne
Brady Browne (born April 24, 1983) is a former professional Canadian football defensive back. He last played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the BC Lions in the fifth round of the 2008 CFL Draft. He ...
in exchange for import offensive lineman
Dan Goodspeed
Dan Goodspeed (born May 20, 1977) is a former American football offensive tackle whose longest stint was with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He also played in the National Football League (NFL) and the XFL (20 ...
. The Roughriders then traded Goodspeed to the Hamilton Tiger Cats for non-import offensive lineman
Jordan Rempel. Bowman finished the year with 925 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. Bowman struggled with dropped passes in the
2010 season, a recurring theme in his career to this point, which contributed to a difficult
Blue Bombers' season. After failing to rectify this problem, he was demoted from the starting line-up and was eventually released on Oct. 20, 2010.
Edmonton Eskimos
On January 19, 2011, Bowman was signed by the
Edmonton Eskimos. The
2011 CFL season
The 2011 CFL season was the 58th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 54th season of the Canadian Football League. The complete schedule was released on February 18 and featured the defending Grey Cup champion Montreal ...
was a breakout year for Bowman, recording 1,153 yards and 4 touchdowns. On November 5, Bowman had a career game, collecting 226 yards with 2 touchdowns. Bowman's second season with the Eskimos was cut short when in the second game of the season he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee. On July 9, 2012, the Eskimos announced that Bowman would miss the remainder of the
2012 CFL season
The 2012 CFL season was the 59th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 55th season for the Canadian Football League. The pre-season began on June 13, 2012, and the regular season started on June 29, 2012. Rogers Centre ...
. In his sixth season in the CFL, Bowman played in only the final 9 games after missing the first half of the season with an injury. Despite missing half the season Bowman still had a strong year accumulating 697 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. On December 2, 2013, Bowman signed a two-year extension with Edmonton.
Bowman's
2014 CFL season
Fourteen or 14 may refer to:
* 14 (number), the natural number following 13 and preceding 15
* one of the years 14 BC, AD 14, 1914, 2014
Music
* 14th (band), a British electronic music duo
* ''14'' (David Garrett album), 2013
*''14'', an unre ...
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
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
when they signed him to a new contract that will keep him playing in Edmonton through the
2017 CFL season
The 2017 CFL season was the 64th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 60th season of the Canadian Football League. The regular season began on June 22 and concluded on November 4. The playoffs commenced on November 12 a ...
. 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
The 2018 CFL season was the 65th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 61st Canadian Football League season. Edmonton hosted the 106th Grey Cup on November 25, 2018. The CFL announced that this season will move to a 21-w ...
. 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. After playing in the first three games of the
2017 season Bowman was placed on the six-game injured list with a hamstring injury. 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.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (II)
Only four days after being released by the Eskimos, Bowman signed a one-year contract with the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...
. He played in six games for the Blue Bombers, registering receptions in only three of those games with no touchdowns.
Montreal Alouettes
Following a slow start to the
2018 season, Bowman was traded to the
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes (French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Canad ...
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
Johnathan Paul Manziel ( ; born December 6, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the FCF Zappers of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He played two seasons with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) and was also a me ...
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.
Edmonton Elks (II)
On January 26, 2022, the Edmonton Elks announced Bowman (age 36) would be coming out of retirement and returning for the 2022 CFL season. This ultimately proved to be short lived as Bowman announced his retirement on March 16, 2022.
Career statistics
References
External links
Montreal Alouettes profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowman, Adarius
1985 births
Living people
African-American players of Canadian football
American football wide receivers
Canadian football slotbacks
Edmonton Elks players
Montreal Alouettes players
North Carolina Tar Heels football players
Oklahoma State Cowboys football players
Saskatchewan Roughriders players
Sportspeople from Chattanooga, Tennessee
Winnipeg Blue Bombers players
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American people