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| P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> E ven before taking his 9rst question at Penn State's preseason media day ear- lier this month, head coach James Franklin made a point of highlighting a small, speci9c group of players. Heading into a preseason camp that he knew would be dominated by questions about the quarterback position and the rise of Penn State's young talent on both sides of the ball, Franklin said he wanted to "give some love" to a few guys who otherwise probably wouldn't draw much individual attention. O:ensive lineman Steven Gonzalez warranted a nod, as did defensive ends Shane Simmons and Shaka Toney and 9;h-year cornerback John Reid, now more than two years re- moved from an ACL injury. But 9rst on Franklin's list was a lesser-known player: 9;h-year senior tight end Nick Bowers. "Bowers is a guy who has had a bunch of injuries throughout his career and has battled through them," Franklin said. "His family has been unbelievable, and he's been unbelievable. I think he's going to have a huge year for us." Considering the emergence of Pat Freiermuth last season, Franklin's deci- sion to spotlight Bowers might come as a surprise to some. The veteran tight end has dealt with a number of setbacks that have prevented him from having the kind of career that he might have envisioned when he came to Penn State from Kittan- ning, Pa., in 2015. A;er redshirting as a true freshman, Bowers missed the entire 2016 season with an injury and didn't make his 9rst on-9eld appearance until October 2017 when Penn State visited Northwestern. He went on to see action in three games that year and made his only reception – a 15-yard touchdown catch – in a home victory over Nebraska. That late-season surge seemed to indi- cate that Bowers' fortunes were changing, but he was forced to miss time in spring practice last year, as well as preseason camp, and he didn't get onto the 9eld in any of the Nittany Lions' nonconference games. Bowers didn't return to action until Penn State's trip to Illinois to open Big Ten play. By then, Freiermuth was starting to show signs that he was ready to make a major impact as a true freshman. Bowers didn't make his 9rst catch of the season until October, pulling in three receptions for 18 yards against Michigan State. From there, though, his ascent began in earnest. He didn't make headlines the way Freiermuth did, but he frequently saw playing time in run-blocking situa- tions, and he made it back onto the stat sheet against Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl with three catches for 32 yards and a touchdown. The second-quarter TD in Orlando helped the Nittany Lions rally back from an early 10-0 de9cit and was a career highlight for Bowers. "That was probably one of the greatest feelings I ever had in my entire life," he said. "The play we called, I was like, I have a good chance to get this ball. And when I was open, I said, Holy cow, he's going to throw it to me. I just looked up in the crowd and I was like, wow. … My mind was blown by that." Since the end of the 2018 season, the 6- foot-4, 260-pound Bowers has been try- ing to improve every aspect of his game, from blocking and catching to under- standing the nuances of the o:ense and improving his ability to diagnose defen- sive schemes. Having put in the work, he now 9nds himself in a position to poten- tially make the big impact his head coach is projecting. And given what he's had to endure to get to this point, nothing would be more satisfying. "Just from all the stu: in the past, from this being my last year, I just kind of step back sometimes. I'm just thankful that I'm in this opportunity and in this role," Bowers said. "I'm really appreciative of where I am right now. I'm trying to take it all in. This is my last year, and I'm trying to get better every single day." On an o:ense that is largely devoid of seniors and other upperclassman contrib- utors with similar stories, Bowers gives the Lions a veteran presence. Franklin ex- pects it to pay dividends this fall. "He's a guy who's a senior, and again, he's had a lot of adversity and has battled through it and has just been a fantastic teammate," Franklin said. "He's been a fantastic student here and in the commu- nity, and I think he's going to have a huge year for us." ■ Bowers looks to make most of final season NICK OF TIME Bowers is one of the few seniors on a youthful Penn State of- fense this sea- son. He's set to back up Pat Freiermuth at tight end. Photo by Steve Manuel

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