The Penn Stater Magazine

Off to the Races Again for Navorro Bowman

November 14, 2009

When linebacker Navorro Bowman hauled in an interception in the third quarter of Saturday’s game against Indiana and headed for the end zone, one thought flashed through his mind:

I cannot be caught by the quarterback.

That, he said, would have been humiliating. Far worse than being tackled by a punter or kicker. “Quarterbacks are the ones wearing the red jerseys; you can’t touch them,” he explained, grinning. “So don’t touch me.”

No one did. Bowman rumbled 73 yards to the end zone for his second defensive touchdown of the season, one that gave the Nittany Lions their first lead of the game, 17-10 midway through the third quarter. If that was his last game in Beaver Stadium—a distinct possibility, given that he is projected as a first-round pick in the NFL Draft—Bowman certainly went out in style.

Navorro Bowman races for the end zone, captured in this photo by Joe Hermitt of The Patriot-News in Harrisburg.

He also assured that he’d get a lot less ribbing for his second defensive touchdown of the season than he did for his first. When he returned a fumble 91 yards for a touchdown against Eastern Illinois, he was—to put it politely—exhausted when he reached the end zone. He could barely stumble back to the sideline. So led by defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who’s got a great sense of humor, his teammates let him have it for nearly running out of gas.

Which is why outrunning Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell was so important. “Everybody would have been clowning me if I’d been tackled by the quarterback,” Bowman said.

And which is why he so appreciated that there were 18 fewer yards between him and the end zone on this touchdown run. “Ninety-one yards got me,” he said. “God’s looking out for me, cutting down the yards for me.”

Bowman spent much of the postgame fielding questions about whether he, like the 19 seniors honored in a pregame ceremony, had played his final game in Beaver Stadium. He even rang the Victory Bell on his way off the field, although he said it wasn’t a symbolic gesture. “They asked me to do it,” he said, although he was unsure exactly who “they” was. He assumes it was some students.

Bowman, whose off-field issues have been well documented, said he would evaluate whether he would return for his final year of eligibility. He said he’ll consult with his family, his former Penn State roommate Aaron Maybin, who turned pro after last season and was rewarded with a handsome contract by the Buffalo Bills, and LaVar Arrington, who has been a mentor for years. “I’m blessed to be in a position to be able to make this choice,” Bowman said.

Being a first-round pick matters, he said.

“I want to be the best,” he said. “That’s why you get up at 5 or 6 a.m. Just to be the best.”

Lori Shontz, senior editor

Entry Filed under: Penn State football. Tags: Penn State football, Aaron Maybin, NFL draft, Navorro Bowman, Indiana football, Tom Bradley, LaVar Arrington.