Analysis
5/13/23
2 min read
Buccaneers Coach Todd Bowles Fulfills 37-Year Promise, Graduates
Todd Bowles left Temple University in 1986 to pursue an NFL career.
Now 37 years later, he's met that goal and then some. After an eight-season, 117-game career as a defensive back — mostly with Washington — Bowles launched a coaching career that has also seen him reach the pinnacle of that field.
On Saturday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach achieved another goal — graduating with his college degree, something he promised his mother he would do. Bowles received a Bachelor of Science degree in youth and community development from Mount St. Mary's University in Frederick, Md.
Congrats on graduating, coach! 🎓
Todd Bowles made a promise to his mother when he entered the league that he would complete his degree, and today that promise was fulfilled. pic.twitter.com/o7aRjDAq4s
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) May 13, 2023
"It's personal. It's not a limelight type of deal for me," said Bowles, who is 59. "It is more or less honoring my mother and making sure I kept a promise that I could live with when she said something.
"That's really all it was for me, and showing my kids at the same time, with one in college, one getting ready to go to college and another one on the horizon. Hopefully, they can get some inspiration from this, and it can help them as they go forward."
Bowles has a 34-50 record as a head coach for the Bucs, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. He was Tampa Bay's defensive coordinator when it won Super Bowl LV. He also has been a defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals and Miami.
