Dwayne Bowe

Former Chiefs wide receiver and 2010 NFL receiving touchdowns leader.

Dwayne Lorenzo Bowe (born September 21, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. He played for the Chiefs from 2007 to 2014. He led the NFL in receiving touchdowns with 15 in 2010, earning Pro Bowl and Second-team All-Pro honors. He also played for the Cleveland Browns in 2015.

Quick Facts

Position: Wide receiver
Born: 21 September 1984
Birthplace: Miami, Florida, U.S.
High school: Miami Norland (Miami Gardens, Florida)
College: LSU (2003–2006)
Draft year: 2007
Draft round: 1
Draft pick: 23

Lore & Background

Bowe and his older brother were raised by their paternal grandparents in Miami, Florida. He was not involved in sports until his junior year in high school, when Bowe decided to join the high school football team at Miami Norland High School. He accepted an offer from Nick Saban to play football for Louisiana State University. He ranks among LSU's all-time best wide receivers, at one point holding the school's single-season record for touchdown receptions.

(He has since been passed by Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Terrace Marshall Jr. in 2019.) Bowe appeared in 13 games as a backup for the Tigers' 2003 BCS national championship team. His sophomore year at LSU was his breakout season. After the departure of wide receivers Michael Clayton and Devery Henderson to the NFL, Bowe was poised to become a starter for the Tigers.

In the opening game of the year versus Oregon State, Bowe caught a pass from JaMarcus Russell for a 38-yard touchdown strike that sent the game into overtime. The Tigers won that game, and Bowe finished second on the team in receiving yards while becoming one of Russell's favorite targets along with Skyler Green, Early Doucet, and Craig 'Buster' Davis. In his junior season (2005), Bowe led the team in receptions, averaging 17.3 yards per catch and setting an LSU record by catching a touchdown pass in seven straight games.

Bowe caught the game winner versus Alabama that year, giving LSU a 16–13 OT win in Tuscaloosa. Bowe's senior season (2006) was his best yet. Not only did he lead the team in receptions (65 receptions for 990 yards), he also set another LSU school record with 12 touchdown catches on the year. Bowe led a trio of receivers including Doucet and Davis that combined for 180 catches, 2,598 yards, and 24 touchdowns.

Reader's Guide

Regarded as one of the top wide receivers available in the 2007 NFL draft, Bowe drew comparisons to Hines Ward. He was selected in the first round with the 23rd overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs. Alongside his former teammates JaMarcus Russell and Buster Davis, the trio became the first quarterback/wide receiving group to be selected in the first round of the draft. On August 5, 2007, Bowe signed a five-year contract with the Chiefs, after holding out the first week of practice at training camp.

Bowe scored on a pass from Damon Huard in the first half of the game against the Chicago Bears on September 16, 2007. In his rookie season, Bowe led all first-year receivers in receptions (70), yards (995), and touchdowns (6). His reception and yardage totals set franchise records for Chiefs' rookie receivers. Bowe also set the team's single-game rookie receiving record with 164 yards against the San Diego Chargers on September 30, 2007.

In the season opener of the 2008 season, Bowe recorded five receptions for eighty-nine yards, but he also dropped 4 passes, including a game-winning catch in the endzone on first and goal. He went on to obtain 1,022 yards receiving and ended the season 4th in the NFL with 86 receptions. In his last game of the 2008 season Bowe gained 103 yards with 10 receptions in a loss to the Bengals. Playing with new quarterback Matt Cassel, Bowe finished the 2009 season with 589 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 11 games.

On November 17, 2009, Bowe was suspended for 4 games for violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy, after he tested positive for a diuretic. In 2010, Bowe got off to a slow start in Chiefs' 2010 campaign, catching only 9 passes in the team's first 4 games. In the Chiefs' fourth game against the Indianapolis Colts, Bowe dropped crucial passes including one in the endzone which would have given them the lead, as the Chiefs' suffered their first loss 9–19.

On October 17, 2010, Bowe caught 6 passes for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Houston Texans in a game that the Chiefs lost 31–35. The following week was prolific for Bowe once again, as he hauled in 3 receptions for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 42–20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. In Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills he caught 3 passes for only 16 yards but again found the endzone, helping his team win against the Buffalo Bills, 13–10.

Did You Know?

He set a Chiefs franchise record with 7 straight games with a touchdown in 2010.
He caught his 500th career pass on November 2, 2014, against the New York Jets.