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By Charean Williams
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
OXNARD, Calif. -- Stephen Bowen is as easygoing as defensive football players come. His disposition belies how tough his path has been to get where he is now -- a budding star on the Dallas Cowboys' star-studded defense.
Bowen played at Hofstra, a school that recently dropped football. He wasn't drafted, signing with the Cowboys as a rookie free agent in 2006. He was cut from the team in his first training camp.
All of which is why Bowen could be the team's defensive version of Miles Austin and Tony Romo, former rookie free agents who have become Pro Bowlers.
"When I was younger, I always dreamed of being in this position," said Bowen, an end. "It's a dream come true for me that I'm still doing what I love to do. I just want to take advantage of it to the fullest."
Bowen has been Mr. August so far, with a sack, a tackle for loss and three quarterback pressures in two preseason games. He, and the Cowboys, are hoping for the same production in the regular season.
"He's been our pass-rush specialist, and I think he's stepped it up even better," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "He's rushing the passer, and he's playing the run better. Both of those things I think he took personal to try and get better. He worked really hard in the off-season.... He's played really well, and I told him that."
It's taken Bowen five seasons, a lot of hard work and some good luck to get here. In his first training camp, he was cited as "some guy named Stephen Bowen" in a newspaper article about the struggles of veteran offensive tackle Jason Fabini, as if Bowen was a nobody.
But, from the day they signed Bowen in 2006, the Cowboys always saw something in him.
"I talk about it a lot with my wife," Bowen said of his long, hard journey. "I think I'm very humbled and appreciative of everything that God has given me. Anybody could have been in my position and had a chance to play. I've tried to take advantage of everything He's given me."
Bowen spent his first eight games in the NFL on the practice squad before being elevated to the 53-player roster. In the only game Bowen played as a rookie, he sacked now-teammate and former Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna. Bowen also made a tackle and had a QB pressure in the 2006 season-ending loss to the Lions.
Kitna has no memory of the sack, and laughed when told it was Bowen's first career sack.
"I always tease the other guys, because DeMarcus [Ware] and [Marcus] Spears couldn't catch me," Kitna said. "But I try to stay away from the guy who actually caught me."
Bowen made his first two career starts last season and his second, third and fourth career sacks. He also had 33 quarterback pressures, nearly doubling his career total.
The Cowboys, having signed Bowen to a $1.759 million tender, which is $533,000 more than Spears will make, have plans for Bowen to be more -- much more -- than a situational pass-rusher.
"He's the best example I've seen in the last 20 years of getting better and better and better over a two- or three-year period," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "...We have really high hopes for him."
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
OXNARD, Calif. -- Stephen Bowen is as easygoing as defensive football players come. His disposition belies how tough his path has been to get where he is now -- a budding star on the Dallas Cowboys' star-studded defense.
Bowen played at Hofstra, a school that recently dropped football. He wasn't drafted, signing with the Cowboys as a rookie free agent in 2006. He was cut from the team in his first training camp.
All of which is why Bowen could be the team's defensive version of Miles Austin and Tony Romo, former rookie free agents who have become Pro Bowlers.
"When I was younger, I always dreamed of being in this position," said Bowen, an end. "It's a dream come true for me that I'm still doing what I love to do. I just want to take advantage of it to the fullest."
Bowen has been Mr. August so far, with a sack, a tackle for loss and three quarterback pressures in two preseason games. He, and the Cowboys, are hoping for the same production in the regular season.
"He's been our pass-rush specialist, and I think he's stepped it up even better," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "He's rushing the passer, and he's playing the run better. Both of those things I think he took personal to try and get better. He worked really hard in the off-season.... He's played really well, and I told him that."
It's taken Bowen five seasons, a lot of hard work and some good luck to get here. In his first training camp, he was cited as "some guy named Stephen Bowen" in a newspaper article about the struggles of veteran offensive tackle Jason Fabini, as if Bowen was a nobody.
But, from the day they signed Bowen in 2006, the Cowboys always saw something in him.
"I talk about it a lot with my wife," Bowen said of his long, hard journey. "I think I'm very humbled and appreciative of everything that God has given me. Anybody could have been in my position and had a chance to play. I've tried to take advantage of everything He's given me."
Bowen spent his first eight games in the NFL on the practice squad before being elevated to the 53-player roster. In the only game Bowen played as a rookie, he sacked now-teammate and former Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna. Bowen also made a tackle and had a QB pressure in the 2006 season-ending loss to the Lions.
Kitna has no memory of the sack, and laughed when told it was Bowen's first career sack.
"I always tease the other guys, because DeMarcus [Ware] and [Marcus] Spears couldn't catch me," Kitna said. "But I try to stay away from the guy who actually caught me."
Bowen made his first two career starts last season and his second, third and fourth career sacks. He also had 33 quarterback pressures, nearly doubling his career total.
The Cowboys, having signed Bowen to a $1.759 million tender, which is $533,000 more than Spears will make, have plans for Bowen to be more -- much more -- than a situational pass-rusher.
"He's the best example I've seen in the last 20 years of getting better and better and better over a two- or three-year period," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "...We have really high hopes for him."
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