Adarius Bowman facts for kids

Adarius Bowman (born July 10, 1985) is an American former professional football player. He was a talented wide receiver in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Bowman played for several teams, including the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Montreal Alouettes, and Edmonton Eskimos/Elks.

He played college football at Oklahoma State. Adarius Bowman was a Grey Cup Champion and was named a CFL All-Star three times. Throughout his career, he caught 652 passes for 9,491 yards and scored 49 touchdowns in 141 games.

Early Life and Sports

Adarius Bowman grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was a star athlete at Notre Dame High School. ESPN even called him the best wide receiver in Tennessee.

He was great at offense, catching many passes. But he also played defense, making 75 tackles and 4 interceptions in one year. In a 2001 game, he had an amazing 293 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns!

Besides football, Bowman was also excellent in track and basketball. He won state championships in track for the 4x100 relay and triple jump. In his senior year, he was chosen to play in a special basketball game between Tennessee and Georgia.

College Football Journey

Starting at North Carolina

After high school, Bowman began his college football career at the University of North Carolina. In his first year, he played in all 12 games. He caught 181 yards and scored two touchdowns. The next year, he played in fewer games but still gained 329 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.

Becoming a Star at Oklahoma State

Between 2004 and 2005, Bowman moved to Oklahoma State. He became a standout player there. He sat out one year, but returned to the field in 2006.

In his very first game for Oklahoma State, he caught a 19-yard touchdown pass. A few weeks later, he had a record-breaking game against Kansas. He caught 13 passes for an incredible 300 yards! He also scored four touchdowns in that game. By the end of the season, he had caught 60 passes. Most of these helped his team get a first down or a touchdown.

After this great season, Bowman was named the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year. This award recognized him as the best new offensive player in the Big 12 conference. He also received the Bob Fenimore Award, given to Oklahoma State's Most Valuable Player.

Before his senior year in 2007, experts thought Bowman would be a top pick in the NFL Draft. However, his senior season was not as strong. He caught 61 passes for 932 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Professional Football Career

Joining the CFL

Adarius Bowman was once seen as a possible first-round pick for the 2008 NFL draft. But injuries and slower times in drills caused his draft stock to drop. He was not chosen by any NFL team.

After not signing with an NFL team, Bowman joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League (CFL) in May 2008. In his very first game, he had an amazing performance. He caught six passes for 112 yards and scored a 73-yard touchdown. This touchdown helped Saskatchewan win the game!

Time with the Blue Bombers

In April 2009, Bowman was traded to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He had a good year, catching 925 yards and 6 touchdowns. However, in 2010, he struggled with dropping passes. This problem led to him being removed from the starting lineup. He was eventually released by the team in October 2010.

Success with the Edmonton Eskimos

On January 19, 2011, Bowman signed with the Edmonton Eskimos. The 2011 CFL season was a huge year for him. He gained 1,153 yards and scored 4 touchdowns. In one game, he had a career-high 226 yards and 2 touchdowns!

His second season with the Eskimos was cut short by a serious knee injury. He tore his ACL and MCL and missed the rest of the 2012 CFL season. In 2013, he missed the first half of the season due to injury. But he still had a strong year, with 697 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns in only 9 games.

Bowman's 2014 CFL season was his best yet. He led the entire league in receiving yards with 1,456. He also caught 112 passes, which was the most by any player since 2011. He continued his strong play in 2015, with 1,304 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was named a CFL All-Star for the second year in a row. The Eskimos signed him to a new contract to keep him in Edmonton.

In the 2016 season, Bowman led the CFL in both catches (120) and yards (1,761). He also set a career high with 9 touchdowns. He was named a CFL All-Star for the third year in a row. He signed another contract extension, making him the highest-paid receiver in the league at that time. In 2017, he suffered a hamstring injury early in the season. He was released by the Eskimos in February 2018.

Later Career and Retirement

Just a few days after leaving the Eskimos, Bowman signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers again. He played in six games but did not score any touchdowns.

Later in the 2018 season, Bowman was traded to the Montreal Alouettes. He played 11 games there, catching 30 passes for 372 yards. He even caught a touchdown pass from Johnny Manziel! After the season, he became a free agent and announced his retirement from football on October 17, 2019.

In January 2022, the Edmonton Elks announced that Bowman would come out of retirement for the 2022 CFL season. However, this return was very short. Bowman announced his final retirement on March 16, 2022.

Career Statistics