Huskies linebacker Ryan Bowman focused on ‘explosiveness, speed, strength’ in sixth fall camp
Perhaps as much as any player on the Washington Huskies football roster, Ryan Bowman has perspective.
The senior outside linebacker is one of five Huskies who have been with the program since the 2016 season.
Last week, he entered his sixth fall training camp in Seattle — though given the experience he has gained through 38 games and 19 starts during his career, it almost seems he’s been with the Huskies even longer.
“Old veteran — I think Ryan Bowman has been here for 17 years, and it’s great to see that guy playing and playing fast,” Huskies defensive coordinator Bob Gregory said following the third day of fall camp Sunday.
Bowman has indeed seen and experienced it all since originally joining UW as a walk-on after playing his senior season of high school at Florida’s IMG Academy.
After redshirting in 2016, Bowman appeared in all 27 of the Huskies’ games the following two seasons, then started 11 of 13 during UW’s last full season in 2019 and both of the games he played in during the shortened 2020 season.
During that time, he’s tallied 102 total tackles, including 24 1/2 for losses and 14 sacks. He also collected his first career interception in a win over Arizona in 2019, and has forced four fumbles in his career.
So, three days into his sixth fall camp, how does this latest build up to a season compare to the five he’s played at Husky Stadium?
Bowman smiled.
“When you’re a young guy, you’re thinking like, ‘Oh man, I can’t wait to get home and play XBOX’ or ‘I can’t wait to get home and just chill,’ ” Bowman said. “And it’s like, every year you get older you just accept the fact that football is what you do and this is your fun time, this is when you chill. … So, every year just gets a lot more fun, honestly.”
As camp progresses the senior, now listed at 6-foot-1, 280 pounds, said he’s focusing on his “explosiveness, speed, strength” as the Huskies prepare for a full 12-game schedule.
“I know if I do those three things the best then there’s not going to be a whole lot that can stop me,” he said.
Bowman also offered thoughts on some of the younger Huskies linebackers who could work in opposite him, including freshmen Cooper McDonald and Kennedy Catholic product Sav’ell Smalls, who are both in their second seasons with the program, and redshirt freshman Bralen Trice, now in his third.
Bowman said “any one of them could pop off any second and be great, because they all have the potential to be great.”
“All three of those dudes are really good, and they get better every day, and it’s only Day 3,” he said.
HUSKIES HOST FIRST FALL PRACTICE OPEN TO FANS
When he spoke to reporters Saturday afternoon, quarterback Dylan Morris reflected on last season’s thrilling win over Utah.
The Huskies were shut out in the first half and down three touchdowns at the break, but eventually scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 16-yard pass from Morris to tight end Cade Otton with less than a minute to play. Trent McDuffie snared a game-clinching interception moments later to ice a 24-21 win.
The Huskies celebrated on the sideline — but a stadium that would have been packed under normal circumstances was of course without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I wish they were there for that Utah game,” Morris said. “That place would have been jumping. So, I’m excited for those types of moments when we can have those big plays, we can feed off the crowd. I think it will be really exciting.”
The first chance for those moments will come in September, when the Huskies open their season against Montana in a Husky Stadium that will return to full capacity for the first time since 2019.
But, between now and then, the program will see some spectators in the stands as fans are welcomed back for a series of open practices. During spring camp, nine practices and the spring game were open to a limited amount of fans. Sunday, the Huskies hosted the first of five fall practices open to fans at Husky Stadium.
Four more days of camp on Aug. 11, Aug. 14, Aug. 17 and Aug. 21 will also be open. The practices on Aug. 11 and 17, and the scrimmage on Aug. 14, will be from 10 a.m.-noon at Husky Stadium. The scrimmage on Aug. 21 will be held from 1-3 p.m.
More information about open practices and other opportunities for fans to engage with the team prior to the season can be found on the program’s website.
EXTRA POINTS
▪ Sophomore safety Cameron Williams turned in an impressive defensive performance on the third day of camp, intercepting a pair of passes during 11-on-11 team periods. The first was early on, when he snagged a Morris pass that sailed over Otton’s head. The second was in the final moments of practice, when he picked off another Morris pass intended for Rome Odunze.
▪ Morris and Otton — who led UW in receiving last season — connected five times during the third day of camp, including on back-to-back plays for 19 and 13 yards to open the first drive of the final 11-on-11 period, which ended with the offense’s only score on a 26-yard field goal by Peyton Henry.
▪ Sam Huard continues to find former Kennedy Catholic High School teammate Jabez Tinae during team periods. He completed his first pass to Tinae during Saturday’s practice, and found his former Lancers teammate twice more Sunday. During his high school career, Tinae caught 189 passes — most of them from Huard — for 4,030 yards and 43 scores, finishing ranked seventh in state history in career yardage.
This story was originally published August 9, 2021 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Huskies linebacker Ryan Bowman focused on ‘explosiveness, speed, strength’ in sixth fall camp."
