Zack Bowman

Armed with the knowledge of being one of only 14 Alaskans to play in the NFL is a nice way to go through life. But that fact is just one of the many things that help make Zack Bowman and all his achievements special.

Bowman played four years of both basketball and football before graduating from Bartlett High in 2003. During that time, he was twice named Gatorade Football Player of the Year and to the Cook Inlet Conference all-league basketball squad. Bartlett won the Division I First National Bowl football state championship during Bowman’s junior year and won the 4A March Madness Alaska basketball state titles in both his junior and senior years.

“Zack’s leadership on and off the court and field was a driving force that motivated and inspired our teams” said friend and former teammate Pierce Blewett.

Bowman played collegiately at the University of Nebraska, where he was selected as a team captain in 2007. He was then drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL. He played in parts of eight seasons with five teams for a total of 99 games. Today, he resides in Nebraska with his family and works as both a coach and director of youth sports.

“Zack is probably the most dynamic football player in the state’s history,” said former Bartlett coach John Jessen. “All he’s accomplished, he did so as an extremely humble person and was always a great teammate.”