Bennie Fowler III (born June 10, 1991) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for Michigan State and was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2014.

Bennie Fowler III
refer to caption
Fowler with the Giants in 2018
No. 16, 18, 81
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1991-06-10) June 10, 1991 (age 33)
Beverly Hills, Michigan, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school:Detroit Country Day School
(Beverly Hills, Michigan)
College:Michigan State (2009–2013)
Undrafted:2014
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:97
Receiving yards:1,101
Receiving touchdowns:6
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Fowler attended Detroit Country Day School,[1][2] where he was named to SuperPrep and PrepStar's All-Midwest Teams. He was also listed among the Midwest's top prospects by SuperPrep at No. 72, he was also rated among the nations top wide receivers by Scouts, Inc. at No. 80. He was also ranked among the state's top seniors by the Lansing State Journal at No. 15 overall, Rivals.com at No. 15 also, The Detroit News at No. 16, and the Detroit Free Press at No. 16. He was also named to the Detroit Free Press All-State Division 4 Team. He was also named All-State honorable mention as an all-purpose player by the Associated Press. He was also selected to the All-County Dream Team by The Oakland Press and All-North Team by The Detroit News.[3]

As a junior in 2007, Fowler missed five games during the season with a broken collarbone. For the season, he recorded 12 receptions for 265 yards and four touchdowns. As a senior in 2008, he accounted for a total of 1,478 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns. He recorded 32 receptions for 683 yards and six touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 16 tackles, three sacks, and three pass-break ups while returning five punts for 218 yards and five kickoffs for 122 yards.[3]

In his high school career, Fowler recorded 44 receptions for 903 yards and 10 touchdowns, he also rushed the ball 58 times for 542 yards and nine touchdowns.[3]

In addition to playing football, Fowler won the Oakland County 100-meter and state long jump titles in 2008. He was also a member of the Detroit Country Day School Yellow Jackets' 2007 state championship basketball team.[3]

College career

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After graduating from high school, Fowler attended Michigan State.[4]

As a freshman in 2009, Fowler redshirted with a stress fracture in his foot.[5] As a redshirt freshman, in 2010, he appeared in all 13 games and finished sixth on the team with 573 all-purpose yards. He recorded 14 receptions for 175 yards, and carried the ball seven times for 62 yards. He also returned 15 kickoffs for 336 yards. His return yards ranked second on the team behind Keshawn Martin. Fowler also recorded a career best 161 all-purpose yards against No. 15 Alabama in the 2011 Capital One Bowl.[6] As a redshirt sophomore in 2011, he appeared in just five games due to a foot injury. He recorded two receptions for 20 yards and one carry for six yards. As a redshirt junior in 2012, he led the team with 524 receiving yards and four touchdowns and ranked second with 41 receptions.[7] He also tied for the lead the team with seven receptions of 20-plus yards. As a redshirt senior in 2013, he again led the team in receiving yards, with 622 yards, and touchdowns, with six.[8] He also ranked third on the team with 36 receptions. He finished second on the team with 10 receptions for 20-plus yards. Fowler's six touchdowns ranked sixth in the Big Ten in 2013.[3]

Career statistics

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Season Team GP Receiving Rushing
Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD
2009 Michigan State 0 DNP
2010 Michigan State 13 14 175 12.5 39 1 7 62 8.9 1
2011 Michigan State 5 2 20 10.0 0 1 6 6.0 6 0
2012 Michigan State 13 41 524 12.7 4 3 14 4.7 0
2013 Michigan State 12 36 622 17.3 87 6 5 20 4.0 0
Career 43 93 1,341 14.4 87 11 16 102 6.4 1

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 1+14 in
(1.86 m)
217 lb
(98 kg)
32 in
(0.81 m)
9+12 in
(0.24 m)
4.52 s 1.65 s 2.70 s 7.06 s 4.18 s 36 in
(0.91 m)
10 ft 6 in
(3.20 m)
18 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Michigan State's Pro Day[9]

Denver Broncos

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2014 season

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On May 10, 2014, the Denver Broncos signed Fowler as an undrafted free agent to a one-year, $114,000 contract.[10][11] On August 30, 2014, he was waived by the Broncos as part of their final roster cuts. On August 31, 2014, he was signed to the practice squad.[12][13]

2015 season

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Fowler with the Broncos in 2015

On January 15, 2015, the Denver Broncos signed Fowler to a one-year, $550,000 reserve/future contract.[10]

Fowler played in all 16 regular season games for the Broncos, ending the 2015 season with 16 receptions for 203 yards. On February 7, 2016, Fowler was part of the Broncos team that defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24–10 in Super Bowl 50. Towards the end of the game, Fowler caught a pass for a two-point conversion from quarterback Peyton Manning to make it a 14-point game and cement the Broncos' third Super Bowl title.[14] Notably, this would be the final pass of Manning's career.

On April 15, 2016, Fowler re-signed with the Broncos.[15]

2016 season

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Fowler appeared in 13 games and recorded 11 receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the 2016 season.[16]

2017 season

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On September 11, 2017, in the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football, Fowler recorded a career-high two receiving touchdowns.[17] He finished the season with a career-high 29 receptions for 350 yards and three touchdowns.[18]

Chicago Bears

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On April 13, 2018, Fowler signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears.[19] He was released on September 1, 2018, as part of final roster cuts.[20]

New England Patriots

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On September 11, 2018, Fowler was signed by the New England Patriots, but was released four days later.[21][22]

New York Giants

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On October 16, 2018, Fowler was signed by the New York Giants.[23] He scored his first touchdown with the Giants in Week 14 against the Washington Redskins in a 40–16 victory.[24] In the 2018 season, Fowler finished with 16 receptions for 199 receiving yards and one touchdown in ten games and five starts.[25]

On March 19, 2019, Fowler re-signed with the Giants.[26] He was released on October 1, 2019, as fellow wide receiver Golden Tate was activated following suspension.[27] He was re-signed on October 14, 2019.[28] He was released on November 26.[29] In the 2019 season, Fowler finished with 23 receptions for 193 receiving yards in eight games and two starts.[30]

New Orleans Saints

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Fowler signed with the New Orleans Saints on August 3, 2020.[31] He was released on September 5, 2020, and signed to the practice squad the next day.[32][33] He was elevated to the active roster on September 12 in advance of the week 1 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[34] He recovered a muffed kickoff lost by Mike Edwards in the game,[35] and reverted to the practice squad the day after.[36] He was elevated again on September 21 for the week 2 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, and reverted to the practice squad again following the game.[37] He was promoted to the active roster on September 26, 2020.[38] He was placed on injured reserve on October 23, 2020, after undergoing shoulder surgery.[39] He appeared in five games in the 2020 season.[40]

San Francisco 49ers

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On May 21, 2021, Fowler signed with the San Francisco 49ers.[41] He was released on July 31, 2021.[42]

NFL career statistics

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Year Team Games Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Trgt Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2015 DEN 16 1 25 16 203 12.7 41 0 0 0
2016 DEN 13 0 24 11 145 13.2 76 2 0 0
2017 DEN 16 4 56 29 350 12.1 29 3 1 0
2018 NYG 10 5 27 16 199 12.4 26 1 1 0
2019 NYG 8 2 36 23 193 8.4 17 0 0 0
2020 NO 5 0 6 2 11 5.5 7 0 0 0
Career 68 12 174 97 1,101 11.4 76 6 2 0

Personal life

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Bennie Fowler is the son of Bennie Fowler Jr. and Teresa Gueyser.[3] He has a younger brother, Chris Fowler, who played basketball at Central Michigan University.[43] He also has a younger sister who played volleyball at Florida Southern.[44] He is also longtime friends with Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green, who also attended Michigan State.[45]

References

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  1. ^ "Bennie Fowler, Detroit Country Day , Wide Receiver". 247Sports. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  2. ^ Rexrode, Joe (February 20, 2016). "Bennie Fowler enjoying post-Super Bowl life in Michigan". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Bennie Fowler – Football". Michigan State University Athletics. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  4. ^ "Bennie Fowler College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  5. ^ Leung, Diamond (November 26, 2013). "Michigan State receiver Bennie Fowler has option to petition for sixth year of eligibility". mlive.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  6. ^ "Capital One Bowl - Michigan State vs Alabama Box Score, January 1, 2011". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  7. ^ "2012 Michigan State Spartans Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  8. ^ "2013 Michigan State Spartans Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  9. ^ "NFL Draft Profile: Bennie Fowler". NFL.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Spotrac.com: Bennie Fowler earnings". spotrac.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  11. ^ Florio, Mike (May 11, 2014). "Broncos announce 15-man rookie free agent class". ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  12. ^ Griffith, Mike (April 16, 2016). "Bennie Fowler signs deal to return to Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos". MLive.com. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  13. ^ Legwold, Jeff (October 16, 2015). "Bennie Fowler makes most of chances to carve out role". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  14. ^ Rosenthal, Gregg (February 7, 2016). "Broncos outlast Panthers, claim third Super Bowl title". NFL.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  15. ^ Wolfe, Cameron (April 15, 2016). "Bennie Fowler, Sam Brenner sign tenders to return to Broncos for 2016 season". Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  16. ^ "Bennie Fowler 2016 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  17. ^ Kosmider, Nick (September 12, 2017). "Bennie Fowler emerges as end-zone target during Broncos victory over Chargers". Denver Post. Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  18. ^ "Bennie Fowler 2017 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on December 26, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  19. ^ Williams, Charean (April 13, 2018). "Bears agree to terms with Bennie Fowler". ProFootballTalk. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  20. ^ Mayer, Larry (September 1, 2018). "Bears announce 53-man roster". ChicagoBears.com. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  21. ^ "Patriots Sign RB Kenjon Barner and WRs Corey Coleman and Bennie Fowler". Patriots.com. September 11, 2018. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  22. ^ "Patriots Sign OL Cole Croston to the 53-Man Roster; Release WR Bennie Fowler; Sign WR Riley McCarron to the Practice Squad". Patriots.com. September 15, 2018. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  23. ^ Eisen, Michael (October 16, 2018). "Giants sign WR Bennie Fowler, waive CB Donte Deayon among roster moves". Giants.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  24. ^ "New York Giants at Washington Redskins - December 9th, 2018". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  25. ^ "Bennie Fowler 2018 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  26. ^ Eisen, Michael (March 19, 2019). "Giants re-sign LS Zak DeOssie, WR Bennie Fowler, and DB Tony Lippett". Giants.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  27. ^ Eisen, Michael (October 1, 2019). "Giants activate WR Golden Tate Sign LB Josiah Tauaefa Among Other Roster Moves". Giants.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  28. ^ Benton, Dan (October 14, 2019). "Giants re-sign WR Bennie Fowler, release LB Nate Stupar". Giants Wire. Archived from the original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  29. ^ Benton, Dan (November 26, 2019). "Giants waive WR Bennie Fowler". Giants Wire. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  30. ^ "Bennie Fowler 2019 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  31. ^ "New Orleans Saints sign Bennie Fowler and waive Taylor Stallworth". NewOrleansSaints.com. August 3, 2020. Archived from the original on August 24, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  32. ^ "Saints announce 53-man roster reductions for 2020". NewOrleansSaints.com. September 5, 2020. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  33. ^ "New Orleans Saints announce practice squad additions". NewOrleansSaints.com. September 6, 2020. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  34. ^ Kistner, Kade (September 12, 2020). "Saints add Bennie Fowler and Margus Hunt to game day roster". Canal Street Chronicles. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  35. ^ "Saints intercept Brady twice in 34–23 win over Bucs". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 13, 2020. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  36. ^ "Bennie Fowler: Heads back to practice squad". CBSSports.com. September 15, 2020. Archived from the original on November 2, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  37. ^ Sigler, John (September 21, 2020). "Saints call up Bennie Fowler, Margus Hunt again to play vs. Raiders". USAToday.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  38. ^ "New Orleans Saints announce roster moves". NewOrleansSaints.com. September 26, 2020. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  39. ^ Williams, Charean (October 24, 2020). "Bennie Fowler underwent shoulder surgery". ProFootballTalk. NBC Sports. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  40. ^ "Bennie Fowler 2020 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  41. ^ "49ers Sign WR Bennie Fowler; Waive WR Marqise Lee". 49ers.com. May 21, 2021. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  42. ^ "49ers Sign TE Jordan Matthews; Release WR Bennie Fowler". 49ers.com. July 31, 2021. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  43. ^ Snyder, Mark (March 12, 2015). "Dad helped develop CMU's Chris Fowler into a leader". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  44. ^ "Madison Fowler – 2023 – Women's Volleyball". Florida Southern College. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  45. ^ Swanson, Ben (October 11, 2015). "As Fowler grows, close friend and NBA champion Draymond Green hopes to see similar path". DenverBroncos.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
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