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Originally Published: 3/19/2010
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STATE COLLEGE - Navorro Bowman understands the game.
Bowman understands why many NFL teams have interrogated him in the last 2½ months.
He gets it; that doesn't mean he likes it.
"They just really want to get to know you because they're investing so much in you," he said. "They need to know you inside and out and what type of product they're getting."
Bowman has a ton of ability. After choosing to skip his senior season at Penn State to enter the NFL draft, he has impressed scouts with his pass coverage skills.
Then Wednesday at Penn State's Pro Day, he lowered his 40-yard dash time to 4.61 on what's considered a fast track inside Holuba Hall. That was slightly better than the time he ran a couple weeks ago at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
One draft analyst had this to say about Bowman after watching him work out in Indy:
"He's incredibly fluid and quick," the report said. "He ran solid times of 4.7, but seemed much faster in drills. When asked to display his ball skills in coverage, Bowman looked more like a defensive back than a linebacker."
Yet Bowman is widely considered to be a second-round draft pick, despite his talent.
That's because NFL teams are cautious about spending millions of dollars on a player who has made dubious choices off the field.
Bowman was put on probation for one year in 2008 for his involvement in an October 2007 fight at Penn State's student union building.
In May 2009, he admitted in Centre County Court that he had violated his probation by smoking marijuana. Not only did a judge extend his probation by one year, but Bowman received a last-chance warning from Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno.
He has endured much in the last two years.
His father, Hillard Bowman, died suddenly in June 2008 of complications from a blood clot. Then his high school football coach, Nick Lynch, a father figure, died in a car accident in Maryland a day before Penn State played in the 2009 Rose Bowl.
Bowman stayed out of trouble last season and played well enough to be named to the All-Big Ten first team. He was one of the standouts on a dominant Penn State defense.
But will he continue to walk a straight line? Bowman sounds believable when he says he's a changed man. His priorities have changed, at least, since he became a father last summer.
"Things are different," he said. "You can see they're different. I don't do some of the things I used to do. I work a lot harder and focus a lot more."
Bowman seems to have grown up and seems to deserve another chance, but we're not considering whether to hire him for a seven- or eight-figure contract. The NFL's questions about his personal life might keep him from being taken in the first round.
"We all know I've had my issues here," he said, "and I've had some good times here. They (NFL general managers and personnel people) want to know about all those things. I answered their questions."
Represented by Drew Rosenhaus, Bowman has upcoming visits scheduled with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys, where he'll probably face more questions.
"We all have to mature sometime," he said, "and learn from the mistakes we made."
Bowman just hopes his mistakes stop chasing him.
Contact Rich Scarcella: 610-371-5070 or rscarcella@readingeagle.com.
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=206539
Bowman running from past
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|More
STATE COLLEGE - Navorro Bowman understands the game.
Bowman understands why many NFL teams have interrogated him in the last 2½ months.
He gets it; that doesn't mean he likes it.
"They just really want to get to know you because they're investing so much in you," he said. "They need to know you inside and out and what type of product they're getting."
Bowman has a ton of ability. After choosing to skip his senior season at Penn State to enter the NFL draft, he has impressed scouts with his pass coverage skills.
Then Wednesday at Penn State's Pro Day, he lowered his 40-yard dash time to 4.61 on what's considered a fast track inside Holuba Hall. That was slightly better than the time he ran a couple weeks ago at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
One draft analyst had this to say about Bowman after watching him work out in Indy:
"He's incredibly fluid and quick," the report said. "He ran solid times of 4.7, but seemed much faster in drills. When asked to display his ball skills in coverage, Bowman looked more like a defensive back than a linebacker."
Yet Bowman is widely considered to be a second-round draft pick, despite his talent.
That's because NFL teams are cautious about spending millions of dollars on a player who has made dubious choices off the field.
Bowman was put on probation for one year in 2008 for his involvement in an October 2007 fight at Penn State's student union building.
In May 2009, he admitted in Centre County Court that he had violated his probation by smoking marijuana. Not only did a judge extend his probation by one year, but Bowman received a last-chance warning from Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno.
He has endured much in the last two years.
His father, Hillard Bowman, died suddenly in June 2008 of complications from a blood clot. Then his high school football coach, Nick Lynch, a father figure, died in a car accident in Maryland a day before Penn State played in the 2009 Rose Bowl.
Bowman stayed out of trouble last season and played well enough to be named to the All-Big Ten first team. He was one of the standouts on a dominant Penn State defense.
But will he continue to walk a straight line? Bowman sounds believable when he says he's a changed man. His priorities have changed, at least, since he became a father last summer.
"Things are different," he said. "You can see they're different. I don't do some of the things I used to do. I work a lot harder and focus a lot more."
Bowman seems to have grown up and seems to deserve another chance, but we're not considering whether to hire him for a seven- or eight-figure contract. The NFL's questions about his personal life might keep him from being taken in the first round.
"We all know I've had my issues here," he said, "and I've had some good times here. They (NFL general managers and personnel people) want to know about all those things. I answered their questions."
Represented by Drew Rosenhaus, Bowman has upcoming visits scheduled with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys, where he'll probably face more questions.
"We all have to mature sometime," he said, "and learn from the mistakes we made."
Bowman just hopes his mistakes stop chasing him.
Contact Rich Scarcella: 610-371-5070 or rscarcella@readingeagle.com.
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=206539
