Brent Bowden

Brent Michael Bowden (born May 21, 1987) is a former American football punter. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech.

For the cricket umpire born Brent Fraser Bowden, see Billy Bowden.
Brent Bowden
Position:Punter
Personal information
Born: (1987-05-21) May 21, 1987
Huntsville, Alabama
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school:Chantilly (VA) Westfield
College:Virginia Tech
NFL Draft:2010 / Round: 6 / Pick: 172
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
  • ACC Champion (2007, 2008)
  • First-team All-ACC (2009)
  • Associated Press First-team all-state (2004)
  • Virginia High School Coaches Association First-team all-state (2004)
  • First-team All-Concorde District (2004)
  • First-team All-Northern Region (2004)
  • First-Team Northeastern US, Kicking.com (2004)
  • The Washington Post First-team All-Met (2004)
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com

Bowden has also been a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Virginia Destroyers.

Early years

Bowden was born on May 21, 1987 in Huntsville, Alabama to Tim and Denise Bowden. His older brother, Chris Hall, was a punter for the Florida State Seminoles.[1] His younger brother, Grant, is currently a punter at Liberty University. He attended Westfield High School in Fairfax County, Virginia where he lettered in football as a punter. In 2003, his junior year, he averaged 40 yards per punt, with a net average of 38 yards, and a long of 64 yards for the Virginia Division 6-AAA (largest)State Champions Westfield High School. He had seven punts that were downed inside the 20-yard line and 11 punts that were fair caught. In 2004, his senior year, he had 29 punts for an average of 44 yards and a net average of 37 yards. His longest punt was 58 yards and he had 16 of his punts downed inside the 20-yard line, nine downed inside the 10-yard line and five inside the 5-yard line. Eight of his punts were fair catches. He earned Associated Press and Virginia High School Coaches Association first-team all-state honors after his senior season. He was named first-team All-Concorde District, All-Northern Region and The Washington Post All-Met. Scout.com ranked him as high as the fourth-best high school punter in the nation at one point.

College career

2005 season

In 2005, Bowden was redshirted and served as the backup punter behind Nic Schmitt. He dressed for all 13 games, but did not see any playing time. In the Maroon-White spring scrimmage, he punted three times for an average of 44.7 yards, a long of 48 yards and had one punt downed inside the 20-yard line.[2]

2006 season

In 2006, Bowden dressed for every game in the season, but, like the previous season, did not play in any of them. He was the backup to Schmitt again at punter and was the backup holder on kicks.[2]

2007 season

In 2007, Bowden became the starting punter for the Hokies after Nic Schmitt graduated. In the season-opener against East Carolina, Bowden punted six times for an average of 42.3 yards per punt. He had a long of 52, and four of his punts landed inside the 20-yard line.[3] Against LSU, Bowden punted eight times for an average of 40.1 yards per punt with four punts downed inside the 20-yard line. He had a long of 44.[4] Against Ohio, Bowden punted seven times for an average of 41.3 yards per punt, with three landing inside the 20-yard line. He had one punt that landed in the endzone for a touchback, and he had a long of 47.[5] In the September 22 game against William & Mary, Bowden punted eight times for an average of 43.1 yards per punt. He had a long of 52 and had three punts landed inside the 20-yard line and one go into the endzone for a touchback.[6] Against North Carolina, Bowden had seven punts for 302 yards and a 43.1 average, with one punt going 59 yards. He had one touchback and two punts that landed inside the 20-yard line.[7] Against Clemson on October 6, Bowden punted eight times for a 46.4 average yards per punt. Two punts landed inside the 20-yard line and three were touchbacks.[8] In the October 25 game against Boston College, Bowden punted eight times for a 39.4 average with one touchback and three punts that landed inside the 20-yard line.[9] Against Georgia Tech, Bowden punted seven times for a 47.1 average and a punt that went 54 yards.[10] Against the Virginia Cavaliers, Bowden punted four times for an average of 48.3 yards per punt with one punt that went 57 yards.[11] In the ACC Championship Game against Boston College, Bowden punted seven times for a 46.3 punting average with two touchbacks, one punt that landed inside the 20-yard line and one punt that went 54 yards.[12]

For 2007 Bowden started and played in all 14 games (including ACC Championship and Bowl Game) and tied the VT record for most punts in a year with 87 (42.6 gross, 36.8 net) while Dunlevy had 1 punt, totaling 88 VT punts for the year (70 field punts 43.6 avg and 18 pooch punts 38.2). Of the 88 punts 33 (37% of kicks) were punted Inside the 20 (I20) with 28 downed I20, 22 fair catches, 27 returns (207 yds), 6 out-of-bounds, and longest 59 yds. Bowden held for all FGs and PATs,

2008 season

For 2008 Bowden started and played all 14 games (including ACC Championship and Bowl Game) with 69 punts with a gross average of 40.4 yds. Bowden, as a directional punter, had 55 field punts averaging 42.2 yards while the 14 pooch punts averaged 33.2 yds, kicking from as close as the 35 yd line. He punted 27 (39% of kicks) I20 with 24 downed I20, 23 returns (259 yds), 11 Fair Catches, 6 touchbacks, 11 out of bounds, and longest 57 yds. He held for all FGs and PATs. He played the year with a back strain.

2009 season

For 2009 Bowden started and played in all 13 games with 57 punts, 43.65 gross (46.4 field, 37.3 pooch), 37.2 net, punted 21 I20 (36.8%), 20 downed I20 (36.1%), 13 fair catches (22.8%), 20 returns (172 yds), 10 out of bounds, and longest 60 yds. Bowden was named the first team All-ACC punter for 2009 with a 43.8 gross average.

College career started and played 41 games in a row as punter and holder, 214 punts (170 field, 44 pooch), 9015 yards, 42.13 gross (43.62 field, 36.34 pooch), 36.88 net, 81 punted I20 (37.9%) and 72 downed I20 (33.65%), 70 returns (466 yds), and 46 fair catches (21.5%).

Bowden played in the Texas vs. The Nation Game on February 6, 2010, averaging over 50 yards on 8 punts.[13]

Professional career

Bowden was ranked as the second-best punter in the 2010 NFL Draft by NFLDraftScout.com, and was projected to be drafted in the seventh round.[14] He was invited to participate in the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine.[15]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bowden was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round (172nd overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was signed to a four-year contract on June 16, 2010.[16] He was released on September 6 to make room for Chris Bryan. Bowden was re-signed to the team's practice squad on September 8, but was released on September 14.

Jacksonville Jaguars

On August 13, 2011, Bowden signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was waived on August 25.

Virginia Destroyers

Brent signed with the Virginia Destroyers September 2012. In the first game against Las Vegas he averaged 48.5 yards on 4 punts with two inside the 20-yard line.

References
  1. "#21 Brent Bowden". Scout.com. Retrieved 2009-12-27.
  2. "#97 Brent Bowden". Virginia Tech Athletics. Retrieved 2009-12-27.
  3. "East Carolina 7, Virginia Tech 17". ESPN.com. September 1, 2007. Retrieved 2009-12-27.
  4. "Virginia Tech 7, LSU 48". ESPN.com. September 8, 2007. Retrieved 2009-12-27.
  5. "Ohio 7, Virginia Tech 28". ESPN.com. September 15, 2007. Retrieved 2009-12-27.
  6. "William & Mary 3, Virginia Tech 44". ESPN.com. September 22, 2007. Retrieved 2009-12-27.
  7. "North Carolina 10, Virginia Tech 17". ESPN.com. September 29, 2007. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  8. "Virginia Tech 41, Clemson 23". ESPN.com. October 6, 2007. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  9. "Boston College 14, Virginia Tech 10". ESPN.com. October 25, 2007. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  10. "Virginia Tech 27, Georgia Tech 3". ESPN.com. November 1, 2007. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  11. "Virginia Tech 33, Virginia 21 avg)". ESPN.com. November 24, 2007. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  12. "Virginia Tech 30, Boston College 16". ESPN.com. December 1, 2007. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  13. "2010 Roster". Texasvsthenation.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-24. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  14. "Brent Bowden, DS #2 P, Virginia Tech". Nfldraftscout.com. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  15. "2010 NFL Scouting Combine invitees". Sporting News. January 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  16. "Rookie punter Brent Bowden signs with Buccaneers". Miami Herald. June 16, 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
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