Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1015973
F O O T B A L L Bowen is back, but on-field return uncertain When Manny Bowen was suspended 10 weeks into the 2017 season, there was ample reason to believe that his eight- tackle performance in a narrow loss at Michigan State would be his last appear- ance in a Penn State football uniform. Coach James Franklin didn't explain the reason for Bowen's absence, but the jun- ior outside linebacker had already been given a second chance after sitting out the Rose Bowl the previous January for an unspecified violation of team rules. There were strong indications that he wouldn't get a third. But the former four-star prospect from Barnegat, N.J., never left Penn State. Eschewing a transfer, he remained in University Park in the spring and stayed in contact with defensive coordi- nator Brent Pry, who had known him since his sophomore year at Barnegat High. Bowen's continued presence on campus gave rise to speculation that he was trying to work his way back. Sure enough, when the Nittany Lions revealed their preseason roster earlier this month, Bowen was on it. Franklin and Pry said that the 6-foot-1, 238-pound senior was reinstated after meeting a series of re- quirements aimed at keeping him on track to graduate after the fall semester. "Manny had a laundry list of things to kind of earn his way back and gain some trust, and he did an outstanding job with it," Pry said. "To be honest, I'm not sur- prised. He's a very deter- mined young man. So it's good to have him back out there. We've got a lot of love for Manny. We support him, and hopefully things work out really well. But the most im- NEWS & NOTES WELCOME BACK Bowen finished fifth on the team in tackles last season despite missing four games. Photo by Nate Bauer |