The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541451
DECEMBER 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 7 ❱ TROY BOWLES TAKES ADVANTAGE OF HIS OPPORTUNITY U-M football junior Troy Bowles, a former Georgia Bulldog and son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, has been a special teams stalwart and key depth piece for the defense this season. It has been tough to get him on the field consistently on defense, but it is more of a testament to the Wolverines' depth at linebacker than anything else. Bowles was thrust into a bigger role during Purdue week, where injuries at linebacker — Jimmy Rolder and Cole Sullivan were both out of the lineup, and Jaishawn Barham was injured early in the game — finally gave him an extended opportunity. He finished with 6 tackles while contribut- ing on defense and special teams in the 21-16 win over the Boilermakers. "He's probably the most humble guy walking this building," position coach Brian Jean-Mary said in October. "You have to pull it out of him who his dad is and what he does. That's not something he wears or lets the whole world know. He wants to earn everything that he gets. And I think he gets that from his dad." Bowles understood that the Wolverines had a lot of competition at linebacker, so having to stay ready and wait his turn was more than fine. "I'm always trying to get better, and I know what they do defensively here, so I knew it would be a great learning experience, whether I was getting playing time off the bat or not," the Michigan junior said. Classmate and defensive back Brandyn Hillman spoke highly of what Bowles brings to the table. "I like Troy," Hillman said. "Troy's a good spirit, flies around. He knows football, you know his dad. Good teammate, good player, good friend on and off the field. He's making plays out there. Ball player, like I call him. Ball player." — Anthony Broome PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL