Da'Quan Bowers (born February 23, 1990) is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

coach and former professional

gridiron football Gridiron football,"Gridiron football"
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Ret ...

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

who is currently the defensive line coach at the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is ...

. He was drafted by the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

in the second round of the

2011 NFL Draft The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York C ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at Clemson, where he earned unanimous All-American honors. He was also a member of the

Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at the Brick Field at Commo ...

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).

High school career

Bowers attended Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School in

Bamberg, South Carolina Bamberg is a city in and the county seat of Bamberg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,607 at the 2010 census. History Bamberg is named after early resident William Seaborn Bamberg. Members of the Bamberg family continu ...

, where he was a three-sport athlete in football and track. He played as a defensive end and

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

for the Bamberg-Ehrhardt Red Raiders

high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...

team. As a senior in 2007, he led the team to an 11–2 record by recording 97 tackles, 33 tackles for loss and 14 sacks on defense, while on offense, he rushed for 1,219 yards and scored 19 touchdowns, he caught two touchdown passes, averaged 40 yards per kickoff return, and blocked seven kicks. Bowers also starred in

track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

as a

shot putter The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...

(top-throw of 46–0.75 or 14.35m) and sprinter (11.7s 100m). Bowers was ranked the No. 1 overall prospect by

ESPN.com ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc. History Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including: ...

in 2008, the first Clemson recruit in history to be ranked as the number-one player in the nation by any recruiting service. Rivals.com dubbed Bowers the top defensive end prospect of the high school classes 2005–2009, describing him as "the closest thing to

Reggie White Reginald Howard White (December 19, 1961 – December 26, 2004) was an American professional football player who played defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. He played college football for ...

and

Bruce Smith Bruce Bernard Smith (born June 18, 1963) is an American former football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Virginia Tech, where he was ...

". He chose Clemson over

Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, Notre Dame,

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, and

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...

College career

Bowers graduated early from high school and enrolled at

Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enro ...

in January 2008, where he was a member of the

Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers are the American football team at Clemson University. The Tigers compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic C ...

team from

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

. He went through 2008 spring drills and had a game-high seven tackles in the 2008 Spring Game. As a true freshman in 2008, Bowers started six of 13 games, finishing the season with 37

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football ** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking u ...

including eight for loss. During his second year in 2009, Bowers recorded 46 tackles, 10.5 for loss and three sacks, despite an injury that forced him to miss three games. As a junior in 2010, Bowers recorded 67 tackles, 26 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks. He led the nation in sacks and was tied for the most tackles for loss. Following the season, he was a first-team All-ACC selection, and was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American. He was also honored as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and was the recipient of the

Bronko Nagurski Trophy The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athle ...

Professional career

As early as April 2010, Bowers was seen as a candidate for the No. 1 overall spot in the

. He remained at the top of most mock draft projections over the course of the season, especially after Stanford quarterback

Andrew Luck Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. One of the most highly touted amateur prospects during his c ...

, who was widely considered to be the No. 1 prospect for the 2011 draft, returned to school. Along with

Nick Fairley Nicholas Lachester Fairley (born January 23, 1988) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football for Auburn University, where he was recognized as an All-American and was a member of a BCS National Championship tea ...

Marcell Dareus Marcell Dareus (born March 13, 1990) is an American football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills third overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. Dareus has also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college fo ...

, and

Patrick Peterson Patrick De'mon Peterson Jr. (born July 11, 1990) is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU, where he won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defensive ...

, Bowers was still listed among the best prospects available as of January 2011.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bowers was selected in the second round (51st overall) of the

by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bowers was selected lower than expected due to medical issues, including off-season knee surgery. Bowers played in all 16 regular season games, starting in six, contributing 25 tackles. The following off-season, during the Bucs off-season program, he tore his

Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus (h ...

on May 10, 2012. Bowers was activated from the PUP on October 25, 2012. He played his first game of the 2012 season that same night against the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

. He would finish his second season in the league having played in 10 games, but only amassing 13 tackles. In the off-season Bowers was arrested for carrying an (unloaded) gun at

LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Covering , the facility was established in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia. ...

. The sentence was reduced on April 11, 2013. Bowers played only sparingly in

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

, and by the summer of 2014 there were serious doubts as to whether he would make the Buccaneers roster for the 2014 season. During that same off-season, Bowers' was switched to a hybrid defensive end/defensive tackle. On October 21, 2014 Bowers was suspended two games by the NFL for using performance-enhancing substances. Bowers became 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 ...

that off-season, but was ultimately re-signed by the Buccaneers on July 27, 2015 for the 2015 training camp. Bowers was released by the Buccaneers on September 4, 2015. On December 15, 2015 Bowers re-signed with the Buccaneers. Bowers was not re-signed by the Buccaneers following the conclusion of the 2015 season. Throughout his entire Buccaneer career Bowers was often injured; earning him a place on the season-ending injury reserved list. In his five seasons in Tampa Bay Bowers played in 53 games, starting in 10 of them, contributing 69 tackles and 7 quarterback sacks.

Edmonton Eskimos

On May 11, 2017, Bowers signed with the

of the

(CFL). Bowers played in 14 games for the Eskimos in

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

, contributing 17 defensive tackles, seven sacks, and one interception. In early March 2018 Bowers and the Eskimos agreed to a two-year contract extension.

Retirement

On May 20, 2018, Bowers announced his retirement from football.

Coaching career

Following his retirement from football, Bowers joined the football staff at Clemson as a student assistant working with the defensive line while finishing his degree.

South Florida

Bowers was named the defensive line coach at

South Florida South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...

in 2020, joining former Clemson offensive coordinator Jeff Scott's inaugural staff.

Personal life

Bowers was born in

to parents Dennis and Linda Bowers. His father, a

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

singer and guitarist with the Legendary Singing Stars, died on August 8, 2010, in

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...

, at the age of 51. Da'Quan Bowers is also a member of The Legendary Singing Stars, occasionally singing lead and playing guitar.Thedeadrockstarsclub.com
– accessed August 2010 As a child, Bowers looked up to

. Bowers grew up as a

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 divisi ...

fan and a

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

fan. On February 17, 2013, Bowers was arrested in New York City at

La Guardia Airport LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Covering , the facility was established in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia. ...

on weapons charges after voluntarily turning over an unloaded handgun to security at LaGuardia Airport where he was traveling. The weapon was indeed permitted to carry but he was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. On April 11, 2013, the felony charge was dropped and Bowers pleaded guilty to

disorderly conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions in the United States, the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan. Typically, "disorderly conduct" makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to " disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain are ...

. He paid a $370 fine and his court record was sealed.

References

External links

South Florida bioTampa Bay Buccaneers bioNFL Combine profileESPN statsThe Legendary Singing Stars
Facebook page. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bowers, Da'Quan 1990 births Living people People from Bamberg, South Carolina Players of American football from South Carolina Under Armour All-American football players All-American college football players American football defensive ends Canadian football defensive linemen American players of Canadian football Clemson Tigers football players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Edmonton Elks players Clemson Tigers football coaches South Florida Bulls football coaches