Always so affable with journalists, the one who wore number 7 from 2006 to 2019 said he was happy to return to the nest, even going a few words in French during a videoconference on Thursday.
I couldn’t really say goodbye to people, so just to come back and say hello to the ‘Montreal fans’ who have helped and motivated me every day for 14 years, that’s important to me.
, he said.
A member of the team throughout his career, Bowman did not receive a contract offer from GM Danny Maciocia after the 2019 season.
football. J’ai joué de nombreux matchs, je n’étais pas sur les lignes de côté. Je jouais 18 matchs chaque saison. Alors je suis en paix.","text":"J’étais prêt mentalement à me retirer depuis cinq ans, a-t-il admis. Chaque hiver, j’y pensais. Après 10 ans, c’est beaucoup de football. J’ai joué de nombreux matchs, je n’étais pas sur les lignes de côté. Je jouais 18 matchs chaque saison. Alors je suis en paix."}}">I had been mentally prepared to retire for five years, he admitted. Every winter, I thought about it. After 10 years, it’s a lot of football. I played a lot of games, I wasn’t on the sidelines. I played 18 games every season. So I am at peace.
I don’t have any injuries, I can still bend my knees, and I haven’t had a concussion. It brings me serenity. Whether I wanted to continue playing or not is irrelevant.
The Brooklyn colossus will be able to boast of being the all-time leader of the Birds for bags for a long time to come. Bowman tackled enemy quarterbacks 134 times behind the line of scrimmage. Anwar Stewart, in the 2nd row, claims 66.
It was with closed eyes that he agreed to delve into his memory when we asked him to tell us about his most memorable bags.
My first, sure, was in Winnipeg in 2006, Bowman said. I almost hurt myself so much I celebrated it so intensely. My last too. It was against Calgary. We were at a disadvantage to lose by 30 points, but I did get around one of the best blockers in the league before sacking Bo Levi Mitchell.
An inspiring teammate
John Bowman’s greatest pride, however, derives from his impeccable ethics and his dedication to the Alouettes.
Whether people think I was the best defensive end or the worst, no one ever said I didn’t play hard. At the end of the day, whether you’re good or not, all you can do is go with the right attitude and energy. And during my 14th birthday, every week my teammates relied on my intensity on the pitch. This is the best I could do.
The friendships he has forged over time in the Alouettes’ locker room are also precious to him.
In 14 years, I must have had 1000 teammates, but first I have to talk about Anwar (Stewart), he was moved. I was the best man at his wedding. When he realized I was a drinkable player he started talking to me in 2008. He’s a great guy and I commend him for the job he does at the University of Kentucky. Billy Parker, he’s my mate. We have done business together and we talk to each other virtually every day. Ben Cahoon sometimes gives me his opinion when I ask him and AC (Anthony Calvillo) still answers when I call him.
Among his best memories, it was impossible for him to ignore the Gray Cup conquests in 2009 and 2010. But it was above all on a human level that his stay in Montreal marked him.
I enjoyed getting involved in the community and being part of the life of this city, he said. Often, away from the cameras, I would spend time with children. It warms my heart. The city welcomed me with open arms. No matter what I did, people received it well.
Montreal, forever
After five long months of vacation in Florida, the 39-year-old American has decided to come and settle in Montreal, a city he loves unconditionally.
As I ate my third taco on the beach, I realized it’s different there, Bowman explained. I grew up in this country, but I grew up as a human being here in Montreal and I love its atmosphere of a big city and a small city at the same time, its diversity and all that you can do there. Even in winter, it is livable. If I had to build the perfect city, it would be like Montreal.
He therefore intends to apply for permanent resident status and dreams that the Alouettes will one day offer him a coaching position. But he says he is ready to make his classes in the university ranks, like his former teammates and friends Anwar Stewart and Marcus Brady.
I would like to start on the defensive line, he said. The best coaches, in my opinion, start at the bottom of the ladder and gradually move up through the ranks. There are great defensive coordinators in all the leagues. So I want to develop my philosophy. I know how to put pressure on a quarterback and reach for it, but I would like to learn how to share my knowledge with players who like me don’t have a natural advantage and have to work hard.
Some great players have become poor coaches, he continued. It is difficult for them to understand the mentality of a worker. When you’re a star, catching 500 passes, or making 27 sacks or running 40 yards in 4.5 seconds, it’s hard to share your talent with someone with a 4.8 time.
I’m not saying that I will become a good coach, I ignore it, but it will be easy for me to understand a player who will have to work to become good because that is what happened to me. I had to build myself.
An uncertain future for the CFL
Still vice-president of the Canadian Football League (CFL) Players’ Association, John Bowman hopes executives will find ways to attract more fans to the turnstiles in the near future. In Montreal, for example, barely 12,142 spectators were present in the last game, when the Alouettes beat the Toronto Argonauts on October 22.
The Players Association and the league knew it would be tough in 2021 because people have other expenses to prioritize, Bowman said. Many Canadians have lost their jobs and it is hard to make a living on government bonuses. So I want to thank the people who came despite everything. The 25 or 100 dollars for a ticket could have been spent elsewhere.
The solution, according to him, is through better promotion by highlighting the good players on the circuit. He worries about the future of the CFL and laments that negotiations with the owners are difficult, as the next collective agreement will expire before the start of the 2022 season.
NFL, mais peut-être que les propriétaires devraient s’en inspirer. Dans la LCF, les neuf équipes gèrent leurs opérations à leur façon.","text":"Nous ne serions pas à l’aise de signer une entente de 10 ans parce que nous croyons que les propriétaires ne sont pas transparents quant à leurs gains financiers, dans leurs futurs investissements et pour l’expansion. C’est une petite ligue familiale. Ce n’est pas un modèle d’affaires comme la NFL, mais peut-être que les propriétaires devraient s’en inspirer. Dans la LCF, les neuf équipes gèrent leurs opérations à leur façon."}}">We would not be comfortable signing a 10 year agreement because we believe owners are not transparent about their financial gains, future investments and expansion. It’s a small family league. It’s not a business model like the NFL, but maybe owners should take inspiration from it. In the CFL, the nine teams run their operations their own way.
John Bowman
Photo : The Canadian Press / Adrian Wyld
But by then, John Bowman addresses the reunion that awaits him with Montreal fans on Saturday. His return to the field will undoubtedly be moving.
I don’t know if I’m going to cry, replied the friendly fellow. Right now, I’m just honored. How many players have worn the Alouettes uniform? A few thousand? You have to have played for a long time to be recognized in this way. I appreciate it. It’s going to rain, so you won’t see my tears when we show the video where people honor me.
