John Rowser

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John Rowser
Personal information
Born: (1944-04-24) April 24, 1944 (age 79)
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:Detroit (MI) Eastern
College:Michigan
Position:Defensive back
NFL draft:1967 / Round: 3 / Pick: 78
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:127
Games started:79
Interceptions:26
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

John Felix Rowser (born April 24, 1944) was an American football player, a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Denver Broncos.

In his rookie season, he was a member of the Packers' Super Bowl II championship team, Vince Lombardi's last title. He played college football at the University of Michigan as a cornerback and halfback, from 1963 to 1966.

Early years[edit]

Born in Birmingham, Alabama,[1] Rowser attended Eastern High School in Detroit, Michigan.[2][3]

College career[edit]

Rowser enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1962 and played college football for head coach Bump Elliott from 1963 to 1966.[2] As a senior, he started all 10 games at cornerback and three games at left halfback for the 1966 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled a 6–4 record, outscored opponents 236–138, and finished in third place in the Big Ten Conference.[4] Used principally on defense, he gained only 82 yards on 24 carries (3.4 yards per carry) as an offensive player.[5]

Professional career[edit]

Rowser was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round (78th overall pick) of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft.[1] He signed with the Packers in March 1967,[6] and appeared in 42 regular season games for the Packers from 1967 through 1969 including the Super Bowl II victory over the Oakland Raiders in his rookie season.[1]

In March 1970, the Packers traded Rowser to Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for tight end John Hilton.[7] Rowser played for the Steelers for four years from 1970 to 1973, appearing in 47 games, including 42 as the team's starting left cornerback.[1]

In 1974, Rowser joined the Denver Broncos. He remained with the Broncos for three seasons from 1974 to 1976, appearing in 38 games, including 37 games as a starter at the left cornerback (1974) and free safety (1975–1976) positions.[1] Rowser cleared waivers and was released by the Broncos in June 1977.[8]

During his decade in the NFL, Rowser appeared in 127 games, 79 as a starter, and intercepted 26 passes for 444 return yards and four touchdowns. He also recovered six fumbles.[1] He missed, by one year, the Steelers' and Broncos' Super Bowl appearances.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "John Rowser". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "All-Time Football Roster Database". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  3. ^ "Frenchy Rambles With Words, Too". The Pittsburgh Press. November 21, 1971. p. 35.
  4. ^ "1966 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  5. ^ "Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page". University of Michigan. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  6. ^ "Green Bay signs John Rowser". Toledo Blade. Ohio. Associated Press. March 31, 1967. p. 31.
  7. ^ "Packers Trade John Rowser". The Spokesman-Review (AP story). March 1, 1970. p. 2.
  8. ^ "Broncos drop Lyon, Rowser". Southeast Missourian (AP story). June 7, 1977. p. 12.

External links[edit]

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