Daytona Beach \'Rookie\' Feasts On Quarterbacks
May 6, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Daytona Beach Hawgs News Release
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. â Getting "a little bit of help from your friends" can go a long way in the National Indoor Football League.
Standing tall this week is John Bowman. This 22-year-old âtrue freshman' professional rookie for the first-year Daytona Beach Hawgs (5-2) is leading the NIFL in two high-profile defensive statistics.
As Bowman and his cohorts prepare for the Miami Morays, there is one thing the Wingate University standout does well, and that is go after quarterbacks. The Morays (6-1) lead the Atlantic South and this 7 p.m. encounter on Saturday in the Ocean Center is just what the fans wanted in two fine teams.
"We are a hungry bunch," said John, "and we are hungry for a win on Saturday." Well, you can't deny Bowman, Robert Lewis and Leon Moore a meal they can get their teeth into.
Will Morays Taste Just Like Chicken?
Miami will be just that delectable. The Morays handed the Hawgs a 58-53 setback last Sunday in Miami and the Daytona bunch wants to feast this time around.
"We are a strong, but not big sized line," said Bowman. "I use speed and long arms to push aside the offensive lines."
Bowman's success has come quietly. He now leads the NIFL in quarterback sacks with nine for a total of 58 yards in losses. His 12.5 tackles for loss is also impressive, but leading the league in forced fumbles (4) can also make the opposition leery.
"I want to Leon and Robert credit," he said. "You might see me getting the sack, but they push him (the quarterback) my way, so they should get credit for what they do."
It's been a learning experience for Bowman. Indoor has restrictions on the defense and he's had to use restraint. Unlike the outdoor game, he has had to remind himself of going straight at the quarterback. "You do not rush wide here; you can't go outside and you have to go straight ahead," he said of what most in the business call âbull rushing' to the opponents' backfield.
All About Team Work Going Inside!
"The pressure comes when Leon and I attempt to get into the backfield and Robert takes care of most of the running situations." The trio totals 18 tackles for losses and 82 yards in losses. They have 46 total tackles, nearly one-third of all tackles, excluding the ones by the defensive backs.
What makes this ârookie' line so effective is their ability to go toe-to-toe with much bigger offensive linemen around the league.
"I would say it is technique you have to learn in busting through. You have to make that straight line to the quarterback. I try to speed rush and rip. That's dipping the shoulder; stepping and bringing the forearm up and you go through the gap."
In high school, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Bowman was made a tight end. "I started as a freshman, wanted to play defense, because I couldn't catch the ball. I quit one year but came back my senior year and they made me stay at tight end."
Switches From Tight End To Defense
It wasn't until Bowman got to Wingate that they (coaches) realized he was really a defensive player and not a tight end.
What the defensive line in Daytona does is make the secondary that much better. The philosophy is to pressure the quarterback to the point he makes errant throws and the D-backs will then be in a better position to knock the ball down or intercept it.
Three of the Hawgs' defensive backs, Nick Allison, Micah Simmons and Bobby Bass, are in the top seven of the âpasses defended' category. Allison and Simmons are 1. and 2. in interceptions with 9 and 6, respectively. Passes defended make up the total of interceptions and pass breakups.
Allison has 12 total, Simmons 11 and Bass nine. Daytona Beach has a total of 14 sacks for a total of 105 yards which leads the league.
"That's what we get paid for; to go after the quarterback," Bowman said. "You have to work together."
That's what he Daytona team does well under head coach Ervin Bryson. And Bowman, who is only one class from his marketing degree, said its' "first a God-given talent."
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