Lynn Bowden’s NFL struggles not unlike early college days. ‘He’ll get through it.’
In a since-deleted tweet, former University of Kentucky star Lynn Bowden a couple weeks ago suggested that going to the NFL after his junior season was not the best call.
“Sometimes I wish I went back to college for my senior year but everything happens for a reason,” Bowden wrote, following it up with another tweet. “And no, nothing is wrong. Just a thought at hand so relax please.”
Bowden, who was selected in the third round of April’s draft by the Las Vegas Raiders and traded to the Miami Dolphins prior to the season’s first week of games, has played in four of Miami’s eight games, making one start, and registered a single reception for a 1-yard loss. He’s carried the ball four times for 9 yards, and missed the Dolphins’ most recent outing after being placed on the COVID-19 reserve list.
It’s been a bumpy transition from the amateur ranks for the reigning Paul Hornung Award winner who helped turn around Kentucky’s 2019 season. Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops in a recent conversation with Bowden likened it to the the struggles he experienced when making the leap from high school to UK.
Bowden during his freshman season was vocal about a lack of playing time and considered transferring from Kentucky. By the end of last year, he was an All-America player.
“One of the last texts I had when I was congratulating him on his newborn baby girl was just to keep his head up and to keep on working,” Stoops said. “I did remind him to think back to his freshman year here and how difficult that was for him, and to keep on fighting his way through it and grinding through it.
“He responded back like he always does, ‘I got ya coach, I will do.’ He’ll get through it. I’m sure it’s not an easy transition but he is a fighter and he’ll fight his way through it and be successful.”
This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 3:08 PM.
