By Mark Simon
D3sports.com
First a left, then another left- this one’s a jab. Then comes a right to the body, followed by an uppercut, another uppercut and a devastating hook.
For 25-year-old Grove City junior fullback R.J. Bowers (right), the methodical style that works for fighting favorites Roy Jones Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya, also works for him on the football field.
"He literally is a heavyweight boxer," said Grove City coach Chris Smith, of his star rusher, who last Saturday tied the NCAA Division III record with his 19th consecutive 100-yard rushing game with 124 yards on 29 carries in a loss to Bluffton. "At the beginning of the game, he may not break a lot of runs. But later, that 240 pounds keeps on coming in the second, third and fourth quarters. We try to utilize him as best we can."
The three-game knockout-punch that has kept Grove City surprisingly winless has caught many players off-guard. But the future is bright, particularly for Bowers, who could be playing in the National Football League next season.
The professional ranks are nothing new to Bowers, who labored through five minor league baseball seasons with the Houston Astros and one campaign with Madison of the independent Northern League after he was drafted in the 11th round and turned down a football scholarship with then-Division I-AA Akron. Though a broken wrist ended his hopes of following teammates Billy Wagner, Scott Elarton and Richard Hidalgo to the Astrodome, it did not put an end to his athletic aspirations.
A phone call to Tom Trimmer, his high school coach at West Middlesex (Pa.), led to a visit to the Grove City campus, where Trimmer was the offensive line coach. Since there weren’t any Division I offers for a 23-year old freshman to play every day, Bowers made the decision to come and pursue a degree. He would not regret the choice one bit.
On Sept.5, 1997, Bowers made his debut against Wooster and immediately showed that he was a ferocious foe. On his first play, Bowers turned a two-yard screen into a 95-yard touchdown reception. He showed that he has pretty good moves for someone so big and he knew he could always outlast his opponents.
"I take pride in playing from the start of the game to the final whistle, whether we’re up 50 or down 10," Bowers said. "I try to do as much as I can in the first and second quarters, just beat on people. By the end of the game, they don’t want to hit you."
By the end of his first season, Bowers had rushed for 1,239 yards. The next season everyone that came in his path staggered away deeply wounded. Sometimes it was on the trap. On other occasions, it would be an option-pitch to the outside out of the Wing-T.
Bowers rushed for 2,283 yards and an NCAA Division III record 34 touchdowns. Included in that was a four-game stretch in which he gained an average of 282 yards per game. His best effort was 304 yards and six touchdowns in a 55-0 win against ver Thiel. He would have had eight straight 200-yard games had a broken ankle in the final game against Muhlenberg ended his season one half and 28 yards short. Had he played those final two quarters, he almost certainly would have broken Barry Sanders’ all-divisions record for average rushing yards per game.
"The records mean a lot," Bowers said, discussing the consecutive-100 yard record that he will no longer share with Wesley’s Brandon Steinheim if he can muster up another effort this weekend against Bethany. "It’s an honor. But the last time I was close to a record, I broke my leg."
Heck, every fighter suffers his share of bumps and bruises. The rehab was no problem for someone who labels himself a perfectionist, like Bowers does. Once he was healed enough, it was back to the practice field, running plays until his feet had memorized the proper movements.
"You’ve got to be able to do the same thing, time after time," Bowers said. "At game time, I don’t think. It’s all natural reactions."
That’s the attitude necessary to make it to the pros. A few scouts have stopped by campus to check him out. The Dallas Cowboys, Bowers' favorite team, will likely have a long-term opening at fullback next season with the likely retirement of Darryl "Moose" Johnston.
The last seven games this season don’t necessarily represent the 15th round for Bowers, but the decision to go pro looms as a decision he’ll have to make soon.
"I want to make it to the NFL," Bowers said, "more than anything."