Adarius Bowman facts for kids

Adarius Bowman (born July 10, 1985) is an American former professional football player. He was a 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 University. Bowman was a Grey Cup Champion and a three-time CFL All-Star. He caught 652 passes for 9,491 yards and 49 touchdowns in 141 games during his career.

Early Life and High School Sports

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

Bowman was great at defense too. As a junior, he had 4 interceptions and 75 tackles. In one game in 2001, he caught passes for 293 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Besides football, Bowman was also a talented athlete in other sports. He won state championships in track and field. He was also chosen to play in a special basketball game in his senior year.

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 worth of passes and scored two touchdowns. In his second year, he played in fewer games but still gained 329 receiving yards and scored 3 touchdowns.

Becoming a Star at Oklahoma State

After two seasons, Bowman moved to Oklahoma State University. He sat out one year, which is called being "redshirted." He returned to the field in 2006.

In his first game for Oklahoma State, Bowman caught a 19-yard touchdown. A few weeks later, he had an amazing game against Kansas. He caught 13 passes for a Big 12 record of 300 yards. He also scored four touchdowns in that game.

After the 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, experts thought Bowman would be a top pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. However, he had a less successful season in 2007. He caught 61 passes for 932 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Professional Football Career

The NFL Draft and CFL Start

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

After not being drafted, Bowman signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League (CFL) in May 2008. In his first game, he had 112 yards and a touchdown. His 73-yard touchdown helped Saskatchewan win the game.

Time with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (First Stint)

In 2009, Bowman was traded to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He finished that year with 925 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. In 2010, Bowman had some trouble catching passes. 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 great year for him. He recorded 1,153 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. In one game, he had a career-high 226 yards and 2 touchdowns.

His 2012 season was cut short by a knee injury. He missed most of the year. In 2013, he played in only 9 games due to injury. Still, he managed to get 697 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. He signed a two-year contract extension with Edmonton.

The 2014 CFL season was Bowman's best year yet. He led the entire league in receiving yards with 1,456. He also caught 112 passes, which was the most since 2011. He continued his strong play in 2015. He finished that year with 93 catches for 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 through the 2017 CFL season. In the 2016 season, Bowman led the CFL in both catches (120) and yards (1,761). He also set career highs in touchdowns with 9. He was named a CFL All-Star for the third year in a row. In 2017, he signed another contract extension. This deal made him the highest-paid receiver in the league. However, he was placed on the injured list with a hamstring injury early in the 2017 season. On February 5, 2018, the Eskimos released Bowman.

Return to Winnipeg and Montreal

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

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

Brief Return with Edmonton Elks

On January 26, 2022, the Edmonton Elks announced that Bowman would come out of retirement. However, this return was very short. Bowman announced his retirement again on March 16, 2022.

Career statistics