When it comes to Milford football, one of the greatest to ever suit up for the maroon and gold is 2018 graduate David Bowman, Jr. While that may seem like an opinion, the numbers indicate it is a statement of fact. DIAA record for rushing yards in a season at 2,231; a total of 6,068 career yards from scrimmage – a Milford record; 5,600 career rushing yards – a Milford recor;, 74 touchdowns – a school record; and 376 tackles – a school record. Bowman was also a three-time first team All-Conference, a one-time second team All-Conference and two-time first team All-State as well as the 2017 State of Delaware Defensive Player of the Year. This year he will be inducted into the 12th Man Gridiron Club Hall of Fame.
While numbers don’t lie, when it comes to Bowman they tell just part of the story. He was the heart and soul of only the second Buccaneer team to reach the state championship game, carrying an entire team on his back, while playing with basically one hand in that magical 2017 season. That year was a testament to how much Bowman loved football, how much of himself he would give to help his teammates. Late in that season, Bowman would suffer a fractured wrist, an injury that most people thought would be the epitaph of his brilliant career. Bowman had other plans.
“We found a way to protect the cast so I could play,” Bowman said. “It was important to me that I be there for my teammates, because they had always been there for me.”
If you look past the numbers, however, the one thing you may struggle to understand about Bowmanis how he did it. Measuring 5’6” and weighing close to 160 pounds, Bowman was almost always the smallest player on the field, yet he would run over, around and through players on offense and was a tackling machine on defense. He made up for the lack of size with three things: hard work, intelligence and, above all, heart.
“I loved playing football for as long as I can remember,” Bowman said. “From flag football, through Pop Warner, middle school, high school and even in college. I had to work very hard at it, but I was blessed with a gift, and I am happy that I made the most of it.” Bowman stated.
Obviously, Bowman did not do it alone. His family played a huge part in it all.
“My family was my support group, every single person in it,” Bowman said. “My father may have been the one working out with me, but trust me, everyone in my family supported that, and for that I can’t thank them enough. I also want to thank Milford standout players, Brandon LeGrand, Robert Pierce and Octavion Wilson, those guys helped show me the ropes. Also, my coaches were a huge influence in my life, especially coach’s Strickland, Fischer and Brannan. Those guys were amazing to me.”
Speaking with Shaun Strickland, who coached Bowman at Milford, he had only good things to say.
“DJ was the smartest athlete on the field and the hardest worker off it,” Strickland said. “When you combine those things you get a once in a lifetime player. Bowman was all that and so much more, he was a true leader by example and verbally. He would work so hard we would have to ask him to dial it back a bit, just so we could get him a little rest. The greatest thing he is however is a person, he is the type of son any parent would be proud to have. It is my honor to have coached him as a player and now see him as a man, he shows the kind of humanity we should all aspire to have.”
Bowman would gain a full-ride scholarship to Delaware State University, where, true to his talent, he was named Freshman Player of the Year, with 60 solo tackles in his first year playing football for the Hornets. He would go on to graduate from Delaware State with a degree in Kinesiology.
Bowman is a personal trainer, presently living in Sumter, South Carolina. He is engaged to be married to Taylor-Ray Danforth.
