Al Cowlings facts for kids

Allen Cedric "A.C." Cowlings (born June 16, 1947) is an American former professional football player and actor. He played college football for the USC Trojans. He was then chosen fifth overall in the first round by the Buffalo Bills in the 1970 NFL draft.

Cowlings was a starter at different defensive positions. He played for the Buffalo Bills, Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and the San Francisco 49ers. He retired from football after the 1979 season. Cowlings is also known for driving his friend, O. J. Simpson, in a white Ford Bronco during a police pursuit in 1994.

Early Life and Education

Cowlings was born on June 16, 1947, in San Francisco, California. He grew up in the Potrero Hill neighborhood. As a young person, he was part of the Superiors social club. This club met at the Booker T. Washington Community Center.

He went to Galileo High School. There, he played football with O. J. Simpson, and they became friends. After high school, both Cowlings and Simpson attended City College of San Francisco. They continued to play football together on the college team.

Football Career Highlights

Cowlings was a talented football player. After his senior year at the University of Southern California (USC), he was named an All-American defensive tackle. During his final year at USC, his team, the Trojans, had an undefeated season. Cowlings was a key player on their strong defensive line. This group of players was even nicknamed "The Wild Bunch."

Professional Football Teams

The Buffalo Bills drafted Cowlings fifth overall in the first round of the 1970 NFL draft. He was a starter for the Bills during his first three years. After the 1972 season, he was traded to the Houston Oilers. He played all 14 games for the Oilers in both 1973 and 1974.

In 1975, he played five games for the Rams. The next year, 1976, he became one of the first players for the Seattle Seahawks. He joined them after the Rams released him. He played only one game for the Seahawks due to an injury. He had gotten this injury while playing for the Rams in an exhibition game.

Cowlings returned to the Rams in 1977. In 1978, he played with the CFL Montreal Alouettes. He finished his professional football career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers.

Acting and Media Work

After his football career, Cowlings also worked as an actor. His first movie role was in the 1985 film Bubba Until It Hurts. He also had a small, repeated role as Coach Nabors. This was in the HBO football comedy show 1st & Ten. His friend O. J. Simpson also starred in this show.

Cowlings also helped behind the scenes in movies. He worked as a technical football advisor. This was for the football scenes in the 1991 film The Last Boy Scout.

Friendship with O. J. Simpson

Cowlings was a close friend of O. J. Simpson, whom he had known since childhood

Cowlings and O. J. Simpson were very close friends. They had known each other since they were children. They were teammates in high school at Galileo High School. They also played together at San Francisco City College and USC. Later, they were teammates on the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers.

Cowlings was the godfather to Simpson's son, Jason. He was also a groomsman at Simpson's wedding to Nicole Brown in 1985. In 1978, Cowlings was the ring bearer at the wedding of their mutual friends, Robert and Kris Kardashian.

The Bronco Chase Event

On June 17, 1994, O. J. Simpson was wanted by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). He had agreed to turn himself in but did not show up. Later that day, people saw Simpson riding in a white Ford Bronco. This vehicle was owned and driven by Cowlings.

The Bronco became the focus of a slow-speed chase. California Highway Patrol cars followed it on the freeways. During the chase, Cowlings made a 911 call from a cell phone. He said that Simpson had a gun and wanted to be driven to his home in Brentwood.

The pursuit was shown live on TV by helicopters. It even interrupted coverage of the 1994 NBA Finals. About 95 million people in the United States watched it. The chase ended at Simpson's Brentwood home. Simpson then surrendered to the police after about an hour.

When the chase ended, Cowlings was taken into custody. He was later released on bond. The charges against Cowlings were eventually dropped.

Cowlings's 1993 Ford Bronco from the chase was later bought by Simpson's former sports agent. As of 2017, the vehicle was on display. It was loaned to the Alcatraz East Crime Museum. It was part of an exhibit about the legal case.

Later Life and Recognition

Cowlings is a member of the 2009 USC Athletic Hall of Fame class. Other famous athletes like Junior Seau and Rodney Peete are also in this class. A residential college at USC is named in his honor. It is called Cowlings Residential College.

In 2012, news reports looked into the lives of people involved in the Simpson case. It was reported that Cowlings was working as a handbag sales representative. In 2014, a former teammate said Cowlings worked for B. Wayne Hughes, who founded Public Storage. Six months later, a friend of Cowlings said he had retired. He is still living in Southern California.

In 2016, Cowlings was played by actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner. This was in the TV series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story.

Images for kids

• 

  Cowlings was a close friend of O. J. Simpson, whom he had known since childhood

See also

In Spanish: Al Cowlings para niños