THe Gridiron Giant
is the best wishbone quarterback I’ve had the pleasure to coach. He is a Four-Star Field General.” Fisher DeBerry: Head Coach, Air Force Falcons Story by Kim Goss, C.S.C.S. Assistant Strength Coach U.S. Air Force Academy football players in the country, you better expect to bust your butt. That’s what sets these athletes apart -- that’s what makes them great. While Hennings has graduated and is pursuing his Nobody wanted him. He wasn’t big enough. He flying career and a MBA, Dowis is enjoying his last year came from a small high school. His numbers weren't of collegiate football. Breaking records as often as impressive. His name: Chad Hennings.
opposing linemen miss tackling him, Dowis has Nobody wanted him. He wasn’t tall enough. He captured the respect of his opponents and the hearts of didn’t throw the ball well. He didn’t have enough America. At 5-10 and 153 pounds, Dowis is a David muscle to take a hit. His name: Dee Dowis. among the gridiron Goliaths.
As college after college rejected their requests for scholarships, Dowis and Hennings finally found a place impressive. He rushed for 1,315 yards in 1987, a NCAA that would give them a chance -- the Air Force record for quarterbacks, and 972 in 1988. This year he Academy. Through discipline, good coaching, and a heck of a lot of hard work, these two athletes have touchdowns by a quarterback with six against San silenced their critics. In 1987, Hennings won the Outland Diego State, while last year he tied the NCAA record for Trophy. In 1989, Dowis is a Heisman Trophy candidate.
most consecutive completions, connecting on 11 of 11 for Hennings and Dowis are testimony to the American 294 yards against Northwestern. This year Dowis also dream. They have proven that when a person sets a goal broke the Air Force Academy’s single-game rushing and works hard for it, the probable outcome will be record with 249 yards against San Diego State. success. But if you’re a cadet at the Air Force Academy and one of your goals is to become one of the best DEE DOWIS AIR FORCE “Dee Dowis is the best wishbone quarterback I’ve had the pleasure to coach”, says Fisher DeBerry, head coach of the Falcons and guru of the wishbone.
“His ability to make the correct decisions on the option gives us the opportunity to score on every snap of the ball. He is a four-star field general.” Born Michael Dee Dowis, the Academy’s number one quarterback prefers to go simply by “Dee.” He came from Royston, Georgia, a city of approximately 2,500 people and an abundance of poultry and soybeans. Dowis is not Royston’s only athletic superstar, as the area is also known for Hall of Famer Ty Cobb. Cobb is the hero of the past; Dowis is the hero of the present. Dowis played football for the Franklin County High Lions under head coach Jeff Davis.
In 1985, Dowis led his Lions into the Class AAA playoffs, the team’s only playoff appearance in 25 years. Nevertheless, this accomplishment wasn’t enough to impress the powers in collegiate football. In an interview by Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph reporter Mike Burrows, Coach Davis said, “All his life, he’s been hearing that he’s too small to play football. We tried to get folks like Georgia and Clemson and Furman to take a look at him. In 1988, Dee Dowis was perfect against Northwestern. He But they wouldn’t even bat an eye. Dee had his heart set went 11 for 11 and 294 yards which tied the NCAA record on going to Duke. Really, he wanted to go to Duke so for consecutive completions.
THE 1989 SEASON The first two games of the 1989 season propelled Dee Dowis into the national spotlight and into serious contention for the Heisman Trophy. Against San Diego State, Dee carried the ball 13 times for 249 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Cowboys of Wyoming fared no better losing 45-7 with Dee rushing for 201 yards on 21 carries for two touchdowns. Incredibly, Dee Dowis scored a touchdown on every fourth carry for those bad. That didn’t work out either.” Air Force, West Point, and Georgia Southern (a Division I-AA school) were the only colleges serious about recruiting Dowis. Cal McCombs, the Air Force recruiter for that region, liked Dowis’ speed and, just as important, his attitude.
“All Dee asked from us was a chance to play -- to show us what he could do.” In Dowis’ freshman year, quarterback coach Charlie Weatherbie could see that Dee had a God-given talent aggressiveness. During spring practice of 1987, one two games. offensive lineman for the Falcons remarked that while COACH’S COMMENTS the other quarterbacks beamed confidence, “When Dowis entered the huddle he looked scared to death.” In Air Force Head Coach Fisher DeBerry: “I’ve never seen anybody else dominate a game like Dee Dowis can.” He’s the best option quarterback fact , in 1987 sophomore Steve Letnich (now with Purdue) started the season ahead of Dowis.
Talent prevails, however, and by the next game Dee in the country today.” earned the starting spot and led the Falcons to the 1987 San Diego State Head Coach Al Luginbill:
Freedom Bowl. After that season, neither his coaches or “Dee Dowis gave the best performance I’ve seen by teammates ever again questioned Dowis’ aggressiveness an individual player ever. The young man is just a or ability to lead. “Dee and | have been together for four tremendous athlete.” years,” says Steve Senn, the Falcon’s leading receiver.
Wyoming Head Coach Paul Roach: “He is a super quarterback, as good a wishbone quarterback as there is in the country, maybe ever.” “When he starts juking he is unbelievable. His quickness is amazing. I can’t say enough about him.”
“His combination of running and passing makes him a double threat... without a doubt he is the best wishbone quarterback ever at the Academy.”
One of the big concerns about Dowis has been his passing ability, but it’s unfair to judge the aerial HEISMAN CANDIDATE effectiveness of a wishbone quarterback by relying soley on statistics. “Dee has a great throwing arm. He hasn’t been a great passer, but he is capable of beating you with the pass,” says Weatherbie. “It would be different if Dee was in a run-and-shoot offense where a quarterback would throw 40 times or more in a game. We just don’t throw enough to become great passers.”
Dowis has often been called a magician on the field with his instinctive moves to the open holes, judgement on how to most effectively use the people around him, and his uncanny ability to make defenders miss him. Says Weatherbie, “Dee can make you a great coach because he has the ability to make something out of nothing.” And isn’t that one of the things that magicians do best? Other coaches are impressed with Dowis. Lou Holtz, head coach at Notre Dame, had this to say. “Dee Dowis runs the option as well as anybody you'll see. He’s got the quickness and the experience and everything else you'd want in a option quarterback. sleep with the run. you think he can do is run. But don’t be fooled.
Dowis can throw the football when the situation dictates it. I like him.”
Although blessed with speed, Dowis still has to work like everyone else. During the off-season he participates in daily workouts with weights, plyometrics and running drills. His favorite lifts are the bench press and the incline press, and his favorite agility drill is the 20yard shuttle run. In the shuttle run he holds the team record at 3.70 -- no one is even close -- which compares to 3.92 as a freshman. He has also increased his vertical That You Can’t” jump from 29 to 33 1/2, and his 40 yard dash time has dropped from 4.63 to 4.40. “Some of the improvement in these tests can be attributed to the learning factor, but most of it had to come from conditioning,”
says Jack Braley, the Academy’s head strength and conditioning coach. Just prior to entering the Academy, Dowis had bulked up to 170 pounds, but found that the extra weight slowed him down. He is much more comfortable with his current weight of 153 pounds. Despite the lack of size, Dowis is, pound- for-pound, one of the strongest Falcons. His personal best bench press is 315 pounds, and prior to breaking a bone in his wrist during the 1987 Hawaii game he could clean over 225 pounds. than being awfully small, my first impression of Dee when he first came to the Academy was that he was timid,” says DeBerry.
has put in the weight room, especially this past year, not Dee can Bench over twice his bodyweight.
His personal record is 325 pounds. only improved his athletic ability but also his selfconfidence.” take my hits running the wishbone.” “If you can’t take a hit, you don’t belong in Dowis’ life is not just football, because at the Academy you are a cadet first. Classes run continuously from 8:00am to noon, and then 1:00pm to 3:00pm; from 8:00pm to 11:00pm is mandatory Academy call to football.” “I didn’t think about my size that much out of high school. I just wanted a place to play.” “I cherish my religion and my family. My education quarters for study. On weekends it’s studying, here at the Air Force Academy is important. They are marching, studying, inspections, and more studying.
all more important than football.”
Summers are spent on special military assignments, and in the freshman year a grueling summer survival course Leonard Dowis, Dee’s father, a successful high is mandatory. All students take between 21-24 credit school coach who died of a heart attack at the age of 48 hours per semester with mandatory courses that include when Dee was only four, left a legacy. Dee’s mother remembers Leonard, her first husband, as an unusually thermodynamics, electronics and aviation. For away competitive person. When Dee asked his mother why games, tutors accompany the team to prevent players losing a little ol’ pickup basketball game bothered him from falling behind academically.
so much, she replied, “Dee, it’s in your genes.”
Like Hennings, Dowis will provide inspiration to future cadets. He has worked hard, earned an education, We thank Dee, Strength Coach Kim Goss and the and has become a leader. Perhaps Dowis could have Air Force Academy for the wonderful article. Dee achieved his football goals at another school, but Dowis is indeed an Upper-Limit Gridiron Giant. achieving them at the Air Force Academy means more, much more. What advice would the Air Force’s star quarterback As of November 1, 1989, Dee Dowis was in the top give to others seeking to follow in his footsteps? Not five Heisman candidates.
The Air Force was alone in known to be long on words, Dowis answered with the lst place and undefeated in conference play. following simple but sound strategy: “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.”
SAFE SQUAT BAR DOWIS QUOTES “T really don’t worry about the Heisman Trophy.
The personal stuff is secondary.” “If you let things go to your head, it will mess you up. I’m just concentrating on winning, that’s the most opportunities available after you leave.” “I feel more comfortable in a running offense. I’ve been in the wishbone since high school.”
“] just thank the Lord thatI have not been hurt more than I have.” “The offensive line deserves most of the credit. They are the one’s that are opening the holes. All I have to do is run through them.” “We havea lot of talent on this team. We have good chemistry because we have been together four years.” “To tell the truth, I have not really thought about being a Heisman Trophy Candidate. I just consider it an honor just to be considered.”
“Peer pressure never bothered me in high school because I was so involved in sports. The way I look at it Eric Leckner of Utah Jazz on the Safe Squat Bar. drugs and alcohol won’t help you, so why do it?”
“Everybody’s big in relation to me but once the game has started you don’t have time to think about it.”
“Maybe my size is an advantage because the defense can’t see me behind my line.” “Lifting has helped me a lot because I’m going to 500 Ib.
700 Ib.
1500 Ib.
From BFS Magazine — November/December 1989. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
