Patrick Cowan
Encyclopedia
Patrick Edmund Cowan is a free agent
American football
quarterback
. He was previously the starting
quarterback for the UCLA Bruins football
team after starter Ben Olson
was injured in the middle of the 2006 season. Cowan was a redshirt
sophomore. His best game came when he went 12/21 for 124 yards when the Bruins upset the #2 USC Trojans
on December 2, 2006. With the win, the Bruins qualified for the Emerald Bowl
against Florida State. Cowan was 15/26 for 240 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss to Florida State
.
Cowan and USC linebacker Rey Maualuga
will be remembered in the tradition-filled UCLA-USC football rivalry for a violent sideline collision-tackle of Cowan in the 2nd Quarter of the 2007 game which was televised to a national audience. To Cowan's credit, after the collision he walked to his sideline unassisted, and returned to play the remainder of the contest. In the post-game day ESPN telecast, legendary college football coach Lou Holtz
observed that the Maualuga tackle of Cowan was "the most violent tackle I have ever seen on a college football field".
Cowan ended his UCLA football career when he had a knee injury during the 2008 Spring practices. He served as an undergraduate assistant coach on the football team in 2008. He was eligible for the 2009 NFL draft
, but was not selected. Following the draft he was signed and later released by the New Orleans Saints
.
. Cowan attended St. John Bosco High School
in Bellflower, California
. Both brothers were born in Canada while their father Tim Cowan played quarterback for the BC Lions
of the CFL
. Patrick is currently serving with the Peace Corps in Kenya.
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
American 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...
quarterback
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...
. He was previously the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback for the UCLA Bruins football
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
team after starter Ben Olson
Ben Olson
Benjamen James Olson is an American football quarterback. He played for the UCLA Bruins football team. He excelled in football at Thousand Oaks High School, earning high school All-American honors in 2001....
was injured in the middle of the 2006 season. Cowan was a redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
sophomore. His best game came when he went 12/21 for 124 yards when the Bruins upset the #2 USC Trojans
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
on December 2, 2006. With the win, the Bruins qualified for the Emerald Bowl
Emerald Bowl
The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually at 40,800-seat AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, in San Francisco, California, since 2002...
against Florida State. Cowan was 15/26 for 240 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss to Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
Cowan and USC linebacker Rey Maualuga
Rey Maualuga
Rey Maualuga is an American football linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
will be remembered in the tradition-filled UCLA-USC football rivalry for a violent sideline collision-tackle of Cowan in the 2nd Quarter of the 2007 game which was televised to a national audience. To Cowan's credit, after the collision he walked to his sideline unassisted, and returned to play the remainder of the contest. In the post-game day ESPN telecast, legendary college football coach Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
observed that the Maualuga tackle of Cowan was "the most violent tackle I have ever seen on a college football field".
Cowan ended his UCLA football career when he had a knee injury during the 2008 Spring practices. He served as an undergraduate assistant coach on the football team in 2008. He was eligible for the 2009 NFL draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, but was not selected. Following the draft he was signed and later released by the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
.
Personal
Pat Cowan played at UCLA alongside his brother, Joe CowanJoe Cowan
Joseph William Cowan is a former Canadian-born American college football wide receiver for the UCLA Bruins.-High school:...
. Cowan attended St. John Bosco High School
St. John Bosco High School
St. John Bosco High School is a Catholic college preparatory school located in Bellflower, California, USA; conducted by the Salesians of St. John Bosco, San Francisco Province. SJBHS is named after Saint John Bosco and was originally founded as an elementary and intermediate boarding school by...
in Bellflower, California
Bellflower, California
Bellflower is a city in Los Angeles County, California, and is a suburb of Los Angeles. It was incorporated on September 3, 1957. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,616, up from 72,878 at the 2000 census....
. Both brothers were born in Canada while their father Tim Cowan played quarterback for the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
of the CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. Patrick is currently serving with the Peace Corps in Kenya.