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Connor. He played in seven games that season, but the game against the Owls in '08 was his 6rst appearance in the start- ing lineup. "Early in his career, we didn't know much about NaVorro Bowman," Ham re- called. "He made a play on a screen pass. It's another play [where] if a linebacker can read that play very quickly, he gets in- volved in the middle of tra7c with the of- fensive linemen and the guy who's trying to catch the football. You can make a play and sometimes you can intercept the ball by getting into that tra7c and go the other way. NaVorro Bowman did that. He took it all the way down to about the 5- yard line on an interception. I thought, this kid has that gi8 to anticipate and see it and read it very quickly and be very con6dent in making that play. And then he just continued to get better and better. He probably had three or four years with San Francisco where he just elevated his game that much more." Bowman returned the interception 29 yards to the Temple 8-yard line early in the fourth quarter. The Lions didn't con- vert the turnover into points, losing a fumble in the end zone for a touchback, but they won the game, 43-3, and in the process, they found a star. Bowman had done more than intuitively intercept that screen pass. He led the team with 11 tack- les, including three sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Quite a debut. Bowman led the 2008 Rose Bowl team in tackles with 106 (61 solos and 45 as- sists, including four sacks). The follow- ing season, he 6nished second in tackles with 93 but had the most solo tackles (43 with three sacks) and returned a fumble 91 yards for the only touchdown of his career. That made him a 6rst-team All- Big Ten selection again. A year later, Bowman was in the NFL, where he con- tinued to get better, playing in three Pro Bowls and earning All-Pro recognition four times. Whether another NaVorro Bowman or Jack Ham or Paul Posluszny will emerge from Penn State's 2019 linebacker con- tingent remains to be seen. They all would do well to heed Ham's advice, and ask him for more. ■ ##"&$%' #! " No. 84 in Lou Prato's book & ' Autographed copies available via louprato@comcast.net or through Lou Prato & Associates at 814-954-5171 Price: $14.95 plus shipping, handling and tax where applicable Also available with autograph: Lou's book "We Are Penn State: The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions" Price: $19.95 plus shipping and tax where applicable FA S T FO RWA R D

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