Peter Dindinger – NMMI Sports Press

Former New Mexico Military Institute standout Zack Bowman is being inducted into the NJCAA Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

The six-member class, including the 1960 Tyler Junior College national championship team, were unable to be honored in 2020 due to the postponement of the induction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bowman attended NMMI for two years, where he starred as a defensive back under former head coach John O'Mera.

Tabbed as the second-best junior college recruit in the nation by rivals.com in 2004, he earned NJCAA All-American honorable mention honors during his sophomore season.

To this day, Bowman keeps in contact with his band of brothers that he met at NMMI.

Former teammates Antwan Johnson, Tyler Donaldson, Ki'Ameer Johnson, Dale Smith, Jimmy Wright, Buddy Davis and Jerome Owens still hold a strong personal bond with Bowman.

"I was in shock. I didn't expect it," Bowman said after receiving the news about being inducted. "The first thing I did … I had to text the fellas. I wouldn't be able to do the things that I was able to do at NMMI if it wasn't for them."

Bowman came to Roswell after attending Bartlett High School in Anchorage, Alaska, where he played football and basketball.

He was a former teammate of two-time NBA champion Mario Chalmers on the basketball court.

After earning first-team All-State football honors three times and becoming Alaska's player of the year as a senior, Bowman hopped on a plane for southeast New Mexico.

Having a father that served in the military helped Bowman make an easy transition to NMMI's structured environment.

NMMI's small classroom setting and one on one personal time helped accelerate Bowman's academics.

On the gridiron, Bowman had 41 total tackles, 36 solo and five assists, during his sophomore season. He also tallied four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and six interceptions.

He finished with 21 pass breakups and 10 interceptions during his career with Broncos.

In addition, he also appeared on offense as a wide receiver and on special teams as a kick and punt returner.

He credits the coaching staff, made up of Chip Schuler, Anthony Redding, Fajasi Norman and Steve Willis, for having a big influence on his experience at NMMI.

On Oct. 16, 2004, he was named NJCAA Defensive Player of the Week after a game against Eastern Arizona, which led him to earning a spot on the Western States Football League first-team.

Bowman was the recipient of the Art Foley Memorial award, which was given to the best Bronco football player.

He was also honored by former athletic director Richard "Lefty" Stecklein by becoming the first to receive the Lefty award.

The support staff at NMMI as a whole left a lasting impression on Bowman.

"I had the honor of visiting with Zack and informing/congratulating him on his induction," said current NMMI superintendent and president Maj. Gen. Jerry Grizzle. "He talked continually about his time at NMMI, how he has stayed in touch with his teammates and the contribution being a cadet made in his life.

"He told me it is time for him to bring his children here to see the place that helped shape his career and guide him in his personal life as well."

Whether it was sitting in current Bronco basketball head coach Sean Schooley's office to chat or receiving help from former athletic trainer and current athletic director Jose Barron, Bowman made a lot of pleasant memories.

"Zack was a phenomenal athlete. You knew he was special," Barron said. "Zack has always been a humble person. That makes me proud to have known him.

"He's supported us throughout the years. He's a proud alum and he knows this was one of the steps he had to take to achieve what his ultimate goals were."

Bowman recalled the time he and his friends went to formation on a Sunday morning before eating breakfast and going bowling. The group later spent the rest of the day at the Godfrey until getting back into dinner formation.

"When I was there we had a ton of talent. You got to have people that are like-minded," Bowman added. "It's always good to go somewhere where you have a good support staff."

Bowman chose to attend the University of Nebraska over Oklahoma, Texas Tech and South Carolina, to name a few.

Initially, Bowman did not intend on going to Nebraska until he went on an official visit.

He appeared in 11 games as a junior, putting together 27 tackles, two interceptions and a team-best 14 pass breakups.

The Cornhuskers made a postseason appearance in the 2005 Alamo Bowl. Bowman set a bowl record with five pass breakups against Michigan.

Bowman had to overcome two knee injuries as he sat out the 2006 season as a redshirt after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament and injuring his patellar tendon.

He bounced back, being named a team captain in 2007 as he played in 12 games coming away with 29 total tackles, 20 of which were solo.

During a game against Missouri, Bowman had a career-high eight tackles.

His third career interception was picked off in the end zone, which proved to be the game-clincher during a 20-17 win over Wake Forest.

Bowman was a teammate of Heisman Trophy finalist and second overall pick defensive end Ndamukong Suh.

Despite the setbacks during his time at Nebraska, Bowman's hard work paid off in the long run.

"My mindset was (that) I just need an opportunity to get my foot into the door, everything else would work its way out," he said. "I ran a 4.3. You got a 6-foot-2 corner, weighing 185 pounds.  At that time NFL teams were eating that up."

In the 2008 NFL draft, Bowman was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round.

He went on to play for eight years in the league, six of which were spent in Chicago.

Bowman also spent one season with the New York Giants in 2014 before finishing his career with the Miami Dolphins in 2015.

He tallied 204 total tackles, 29 pass deflections, six fumble recoveries and 13 interceptions for 197 yards and one touchdown.

Bowman's biggest moment during his first year with the Bears came during a 48-41 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 19.

To seal the victory, Bowman recovered a fumbled punt in the end zone for a touchdown.

He was named a National Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.

The Bears went 9-7 overall under Lovie Smith, narrowly missing out on the playoffs in 2008. Two years later, Chicago landed in the NFC Championship after eliminating the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional playoffs.

"It was a great experience. Chicago's one of the greatest cities that you can ever go to," Bowman said. "There's so much history, so much tradition there."

A lot of excitement has been brewing around NMMI Bronco football as the squad is making an appearance in the NJCAA Division I national championship.

Bowman is still a strong supporter of NMMI athletics.

"I've always kept up with NMMI. But to see them go to the national championship is exciting," he said. "When I was going there we didn't have a lot of the infrastructure that they probably do have there now. It's good to see them grow."