Unknown showing off for Patriots SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Patriots wanted to draft Rob Konrad, the Syracuse University fullback and North Andover, Mass., native, but he was scooped up by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of April's NFL draft. Shaping up as the next best thing for New England is free agent Jamie Bowers, an H-back who has been moved from fullback to tight end as a result of recent injuries at that position. Bowers's teammates have even nicknamed him ''Konrad.'' At 6 feet 3 inches and 237 pounds, Bowers has decent size, but is much smaller than the 260-pound Konrad. Bowers attended a small school; Wabash, with 800 students, is one of the few all-male private colleges still remaining in the United States. Bowers has become noticeable because Ben Coates and Mike Bartrum have been sidelined with a sprained left knees, and Rod Rutledge has a minor finger injury. Bowers was especially impressive yesterday and even earned some recognition from coach Pete Carroll, who yelled, ''Having yourself quite a day, 43.'' Bowers has made the most of his chance, showing the ability to catch the ball consistently and in traffic. The Patriots didn't have much information on Bowers until they were flipping through a pre-draft book (website http://prodraft.mainpage.net) on small college players published by Mike & Matt Matarazzo, North Shore natives. ''We were looking through the book for a fullback and we gave him a call,'' said Patriots vice president of player development Bobby Grier. ''He's been a pleasant surprise.'' A long shot, yes, but Bowers never thought he'd even be in an NFL training camp. ''They've given me a chance and they've told me to make the most of it,'' said Bowers. ''I'm just trying to learn the information real quick. It hasn't been super rough; sometimes there's a little juggling going on in the brain, but it's not too bad.'' A two-sport star at Wabash, Bowers played baseball and football for four years, certainly unusual for most college athletes, who normally play just one sport. He also was a physics major and had a 3.3 grade-point average. He was heading toward a career in teaching and coaching and actually had completed a nine-week course tutoring high school sophomores on their state-mandated testing. It was just after the nine-week period ended that Bowers got a call about coming to Foxborough for a tryout. ''They couldn't even find me,'' said Bowers. ''I got done with school in December and then did my student teaching. My coach was trying to get in touch with me to let me know. No one else called. For me, this is my one and only shot. There weren't many people knocking on the door.'' Bowers caught 37 passes for 547 yards in his senior year and made 94 receptions for 1,323 yards and five touchdowns in his career. His career average on the baseball team was .321 with 19 doubles, 4 triples, 5 homers and 76 RBIs. ''Not many Division 3 guys get drafted,'' said Bowers. ''It wasn't until I got to college when I started to gain weight. Out of [Warsaw, Ind.] high school I was under 200 pounds and there weren't any big schools interested.'' Bowers said he lined up on the line sometimes and also was used as the lead blocker in the backfield. He carried only 11 times for 45 yards. Bowers does a good job catching and protecting the ball. He already has caught Coates's eye, the All-Pro telling Bowers to keep making the most of every day. Prior to arriving here, Bowers said he phoned former NFL tight end Pete Metzelaars, the only athlete to make it to the pros from Wabash. In college, Bowers wore No. 88, a number that will soon be retired in Metzelaars's honor. ''I was compared to him a lot in school,'' said Bowers. ''I ended up calling him up to get some veteran advice before I came out here. He gave me some good advice, but it's classified information. He gave me some good tips, basically to work hard and never let up.'' Nervous about fitting in before he got to camp, Bowers now thinks he belongs. ''Now that I've gotten to camp, I think I can play,'' he said. ''I was a little nervous at first because I didn't want to mess up. Now that the coaches have a little confidence in me, I can show them what I have to offer. It's a great opportunity. That's what I'm all about. It's a long shot, so I have to show up every day and make sure I do something the coaches notice.'' He also wants to be inconspicuous in other ways. Apparently one of the bits of information Metzelaars gave him was to be seen but not heard. ''Be seen by the coaches and not so much by the veterans,'' Bowers said. ''Lay low, keep my mouth shut, and say the right things on the field. I don't want to get too chummy, chummy with anybody. I'm just feeling my way through and as I'm getting more reps, more guys are saying hello.'' Right now he says the playbook is easier than the physics book, but ''with the hits to my brain, I think I'm losing a little bit up here.'' Nevertheless, the Patriots are impressed. From the Wabash Little Giants to the New England Patriots. It's a good preseason story that may have a longer life span.
This story ran on page C02 of the Boston Globe on 08/05/99. |
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