Dee Dowis
Encyclopedia
Michael "Dee" Dowis was the quarterback
for the United States Air Force Academy
football
team from 1986 to 1989.
Generally regarded as one of the best option
quarterbacks in NCAA history, Dowis finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy
voting in 1989 (ahead of Emmitt Smith
). That same season, he set the NCAA Division I career record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 3,612 (this record was broken by Antwaan Randle El
of Indiana University
in 2001), became the fifth player in Division I history to both pass and rush for 1,000 yards, was an honorable mention All American, and was the Western Athletic Conference
Offensive Player of the Year. He set the NCAA record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a game with 6 (against San Diego State University
in 1989). He set the Western Athletic Conference record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a game in the same game with 249. Dowis graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1990 and briefly served as a coach
on the Air Force staff. He was inducted into the Franklin County Sports Hall of Fame as a charter member on July 17, 1998. More recently on April 20, 2011, Dowis was selected to be inducted into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame.
He currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina
, near Royston, Georgia
, where he was born and raised. He works as a manager for Pfizer
pharmaceuticals, and is married with two children.
Dowis' 249 yard game was the Air Force school record for rushing in a single game by any player until October 13, 2007. The record was broken by Chad Hall, who had 256 rushing yards against Colorado State.
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team from 1986 to 1989.
Generally regarded as one of the best option
Option offense
The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football. Option offenses are characterized as such due to the predominance of option running plays employed in these schemes. Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running...
quarterbacks in NCAA history, Dowis finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting in 1989 (ahead of Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
). That same season, he set the NCAA Division I career record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 3,612 (this record was broken by Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
of Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
in 2001), became the fifth player in Division I history to both pass and rush for 1,000 yards, was an honorable mention All American, and was the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
Offensive Player of the Year. He set the NCAA record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a game with 6 (against San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
in 1989). He set the Western Athletic Conference record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a game in the same game with 249. Dowis graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1990 and briefly served as a coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
on the Air Force staff. He was inducted into the Franklin County Sports Hall of Fame as a charter member on July 17, 1998. More recently on April 20, 2011, Dowis was selected to be inducted into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame.
He currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
, near Royston, Georgia
Royston, Georgia
Royston is a city in Franklin, Hart, and Madison counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 2,493 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Royston is located at ....
, where he was born and raised. He works as a manager for Pfizer
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
pharmaceuticals, and is married with two children.
Dowis' 249 yard game was the Air Force school record for rushing in a single game by any player until October 13, 2007. The record was broken by Chad Hall, who had 256 rushing yards against Colorado State.