Hawk Item – – Has totaled 234 career tackles to tie for 43rd in program history . . . interception return of 88 yards for a touchdown vs. North Texas in 2015 ranks as eighth longest interception return in school history . . . put on scholarship prior to start of 2014 season after joining program as a walk-on . . . one of seven juniors named to 2016 Leadership Group.
2017 Honors – – Brett Greenwood Award, defense . . . 2017 – – Started all 13 games at weakside linebacker . . . recorded 90 tackles, with four solo stops and 50 assists, along with 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two pass break-ups and one forced fumble . . . started at weakside linebacker in 24-3 win over Wyoming as defense allowed just 233 yards total offense . . . matched career-high with 11 tackles vs. Wyoming, including four solo stops and seven assists, along with a shared tackle for loss . . . started at weakside linebacker in 44-41 OT win at Iowa State . . . recorded six tackles at Iowa State, including two solo stops and four assists . . . started at weakside linebacker in 31-14 win over North Texas, recording one assisted tackle and one QB pressure . . . started at weakside linebacker in 21-19 loss to #4 Penn State . . . seven tackles vs. Penn State, including four solo stops and three assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 17-10 loss at Michigan State, recording three assisted tackles . . . started at weakside linebacker in 45-16 win over Illinois . . . recorded 10 tackles vs. Illinois, including four solo tackles and six assists . . . started at weakside linebacker in 17-10 OT loss at Northwestern . . . career-best 12 tackles at Northwestern, including eight solo stops and four assists . . . started at weakside linebacker in 17-10 win over Minnesota as defense allowed just 281 yards total offense . . . two solo tackles and three assists vs. Minnesota, with one sack and tackle for loss and one pass break-up . . . started at weakside linebacker in 55-24 win over #3 Ohio State . . . five tackles vs. Ohio State, including three solo tackles and two assists . . . started at weakside linebacker in 38-14 loss to #6 Wisconsin . . . 11 tackles at Wisconsin, including eight solo stops and three assists . . . totals included two tackles for loss and a forced fumble . . . started at weakside linebacker in 24-15 loss to Purdue . . . seven tackles vs. Purdue, including three solo stops and four assists, along with one pass break-up . . . started atweakside linebacker in 56-14 win at Nebraska as defense allowed 67 rushing yards and just 267 yards total offense . . . five tackles at Nebraska, including one solo stop and four assists . . . started at weakside linebacker in 27-20 Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College as defense allowed just 21 net rushing yards and 102 yards total offense in second half . . . recorded seven tackles vs. Boston College, including one solo stop and six assists.
2016 – – Started all 13 games at weakside linebacker . . . second on team with 91 tackles, including 44 solo stops and 47 assists . . . also had four pass break-ups and one forced fumble . . . started at weakside linebacker in 45-21 win over Miami . . . recorded career-best eight tackles vs. Miami, including four solo stops and four assists, while also collecting one pass break-up . . . started at weakside linebacker in 42-3 win over Iowa State as defense allowed just 291 yards total offense . . . recorded two solo tackles, one assist and one pass break-up vs. ISU . . . started at weakside linebacker in 23-21 loss to North Dakota State . . . career-best 11 tackles vs. NDSU, including two solo stops, nine assists and a shared tackle for loss . . . started at weakside linebacker in 14-7 win at Rutgers as defense allowed just one touchdown . . . matched career-high with four solo stops at Rutgers, along with three assists and one pass break-up . . . started at weakside linebacker in 38-31 loss to Northwestern, recording four solo tackles and four assists . . . started at weakside linebacker in 14-7 win at Minnesota as defense allowed just 102 net rushing yards and 268 yards total offense . . . led team with seven tackles at Minnesota, including three solo stops and four assists . . . also credited with first forced fumble of his career . . . started at weakside linebacker in 49-35 win at Purdue as defense allowed just 47 net rushing yards . . . recorded team-besdt 10 tackles at Purdue, including career-best seven solo stops and three assists . . . started at weakside linebacker in 17-9 loss to #10 Wisconsin . . . recorded seven tackles vs. Wisconsin, including one solo stop and six assists . . . started at weakside linebacker in 41-14 loss at #12 Penn State . . . recorded five solo tackles and two assists at PSU . . . started at weakside linebacker in 14-13 win over #2 Michigan as defense allowed just 201 yards total offense . . . recorded five tackles vs. Michigan, including three solo stops and two assisted tackles . . . started at weakside linebacker in 28-0 win at Illinois . . . six tackles at Illinois, including two solo stops and four assists, along with one pass break-up . . . started at weakside linebacker in 40-10 win over #15 Nebraska as defense allowed just 90 net rushing yards and 217 yards total offense . . . tied for team lead with nine tackles vs. Nebrask, including four solo stops and five assists . . . started at weakside linebacker in 30-3 Outback Bowl loss to #17 Florida, recording three solo tackles.
2015 – – Saw action in all 14 games, recording 15 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and one interception return for a touchdown . . . saw action in 31-14 win over Illinois State, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 31-17 win at Iowa State, but had no statistics as defense allowed no points and just 66 yards total offense in the second half . . . saw action in 27-24 win over Pitt, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 55 net rushing yards and 282 yards total offense . . . saw action in 62-16 win over North Texas, recording one QB pressure, while also returning first interception of the year 88 yards for first career touchdown . . . saw action in 10-6 win at Wisconsin, but had no statistics as defense allowed no touchdowns and just 320 yards total offense . . . saw action on special teams in 29-20 win over Illinois, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 46 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 40-10 win at Northwestern, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 51 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . saw action in 31-15 win over Maryland, recording two assisted tackles . . . saw action in 35-27 win at Indiana, recording one assisted tackle, which was a QB sack . . . saw action in 40-35 win over Minnesota, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 40-20 win over Purdue, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 28-20 win at Nebraska . . . recorded five tackles at Nebraska, including two solo stops and three assists, with one tackle for loss and one QB pressure . . . saw action in 16-13 loss to Michigan State . . . one assisted tackle vs. Michigan State was a shared tackle for loss and sack . . . saw action in 45-16 Rose Bowl loss to Stanford, recording one solo tackle, three assists and one pass break-up.
2014 Honors – – Honorable mention Freshman All-Big Ten by BTN.com . . . 2014 – – Started all 13 games at outside linebacker . . . collected 38 tackles, including 18 solo stops and 20 assists . . . also had 5.5 tackles for loss and one sack, two interceptions and two pass break-ups . . . started at outside linebacker in first action of career in 31-23 win over Northern Iowa . . . recorded first career interception vs. UNI, along with one QB sack and two total tackles . . . started at outside linebacker in 17-13 win over Ball State as defense allowed just two field goals and 219 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle and two assists vs. BSU . . . started at outside linebacker in 20-17 loss to Iowa State . . . career-best five tackles vs. ISU, including three solo tackles and two assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 24-20 win at Pittsburgh, recording one solo tackle and one assist as defense allowed just three points in the second half . . . started at outside linebacker in 24-10 win at Purdue as defense allowed just 156 yards total offense . . . recorded four tackles at Purdue, including one solo stop and three assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 45-29 win over Indiana . . . recorded three tackles vs. Indiana, including one tackle for loss, along with second interception of the season that led to second quarter touchdown . . . started at outside linebacker in 38-31 loss at Maryland . . . recorded two tackles at Maryland, including a shared tackle for loss, along with one pass break-up . . . started at outside linebacker in 48-7 win over Northwestern, recording one pass break-up as defense allowed just 180 yards total offense . . . started at outside linebacker in 51-14 loss at Minnesota, recording one solo tackle and two assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 30-14 win at Illinois as defense allowed just 88 net rushing yards and 235 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle and one assist at Illinois, including a tackle for loss . . . started at outside linebacker in 26-24 loss to No. 14 Wisconsin . . . career-best seven tackles vs. Wisconsin, including three solo tackles and four assists, along with one tackle for loss and one QB pressure . . . started at outside linebacker in 37-34 overtime loss to Nebraska, recording one solo tackle and one assist . . . started at outside linebacker in TaxSlayer Bowl loss to Tennessee . . . recorded two solo tackles and one assist vs. Tennessee, including one tackle for loss.
2013 – – Redshirted after joining program as a walk-on.
High school honors – – Named second team all-state linebacker as a senior . . . first team all-district defensive back and district MVP as a senior . . . third team all-state and first team all-district at defensive end as a junior . . . honorable mention all-district as a sophomore . . . Career – – Helped prep team post three-year record of 29-6, while reaching playoffs all three years . . . recorded 57 tackles as a senior, with six tackles for loss and five interceptions . . . rushed for 710 yards and gained 304 receiving yards . . . 47 tackles as a junior, with four tackles for loss and two interceptions . . . recorded 550 receiving yards . . . as a sophomore had 32 tackles, while rushing for 220 yards and gaining 110 yards receiving . . . team captain as a senior . . . three-year football letterman while playing running back, defensive back and linebacker . . . earned four letters in baseball and track.
Personal – – Born 10/31/94 . . . sociology major . . . parents are Tammy and Chris Bower . . . four-year member of prep Honor Roll . . . attended same high school as DL Jacob Giese . . . high school coach was Butch Pederson.