Personal information | |
---|---|
Born: | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | April 7, 1956
Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
Weight: | 192 lb (87 kg) |
Career information | |
College: | Arkansas |
Position: | Running back |
NFL draft: | 1979 / round: 4 / pick: 94 |
Career history | |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Career highlights and awards | |
Ben Cowins (born April 7, 1956) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks from 1975 to 1978.
Cowins played alongside Ron Calcagni, Chicago Bears great Dan Hampton and record-setting kicker Steve Little, and was the University of Arkansas' all-time leader in rushing attempts (635), rushing yards (3,570), rushing touchdowns (30) and 100-yard rushing games (16), all of which were later surpassed by Darren McFadden. Cowins helped Arkansas to a win over the University of Georgia in the Cotton Bowl. However, he was suspended by head coach Lou Holtz for team violations stemming from an on-campus incident prior to the 1978 Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma.[ permanent dead link ] In the Razorbacks' decisive 31–6 victory, backup running back Roland Sales set an Orange Bowl record of 205 rushing yards, a mark that stood for two decades. Cowins later played during a 10–10 tie in the Fiesta Bowl against UCLA.
During Cowins' tenure, the Razorbacks went 10–2 in 1975, 5–5–1 in 1976, 11–1 in 1977 and 9–2–1 in 1978.
Cowins was a fourth-round pick (94th overall) in the 1979 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles [1] but was then signed by the Kansas City Chiefs. [2] Despite his success in college, he was released by the Chiefs after only one season,[ citation needed ] and he played in three games in the 1980 season for the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts. He rushed 28 times for 144 yards and a touchdown as well as five receptions for an additional 33 yards. After his career ended he opened a successful brokerage company in his hometown of St. Louis. [3]
Billy Ray Sims is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons from 1980 to 1984. Sims played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, where he was a two-time consensus All-American, and won the Heisman Trophy in 1978. He was the first overall pick in the 1980 NFL draft, selected by the Detroit Lions. After three pro-bowl selections, his career was prematurely ended by a knee injury suffered in 1984.
John Edward Avery Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels and was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 1998 NFL draft with the 29th overall pick. Avery played in the NFL for the Dolphins, Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings. He played in the CFL for the Edmonton Eskimos and Toronto Argonauts. He was also in the XFL with the Chicago Enforcers.
Michael Jenkins is a former American running back from Bethesda, Maryland, in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Joe Dan Washington Jr is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Colts, Washington Redskins, and Atlanta Falcons.
Darren McFadden is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round with the fourth overall pick of the 2008 NFL draft. He also played three seasons for the Dallas Cowboys.
Cedric Cobbs is a former American football running back who played for two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and one season in the af2. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL draft and played one season with the team. He played for the Denver Broncos in 2006 and for the Arkansas Twisters in 2008.
Felix Jones Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks, earning consensus All-American honors in 2007. He was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft.
Madre Hill is an American former professional football running back, playing last for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). Considered one of the greatest running backs to come out of the University of Arkansas, Hill was named first-team All-SEC in 1995 and was named to the Razorbacks' all-time team for the 1990s. He formerly held the all-time season rushing record for Arkansas high schools and for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Jerry Eckwood is a former NFL running back. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1979 to 1981, and was a key member of the Buccaneers team that made the first playoff appearance in franchise history in 1979. Eckwood played collegiately for the Arkansas Razorbacks from 1975 to 1978.
The 1977 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. In their first year under head coach Lou Holtz, the Razorbacks compiled an 11–1 record, finished in second place in the SWC, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 389 to 101. The Razorbacks' only loss was to SWC champion Texas by a 13–9 score. There was controversy during that game, when Arkansas QB Ron Calcagni's facemask was grabbed by a Texas player during a key drive, but the officials did not call the penalty, and Arkansas was forced to settle for a field goal. The team advanced to 1978 Orange Bowl, defeating #2 Oklahoma by a 31–6 score. Arkansas was ranked #3 in both the final AP Poll and the final UPI Coaches Poll.
James David Rouse is a former American football running back. He played collegiately for the Arkansas Razorbacks, and in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears.
Fred Talley is an American football running back. He played collegiately for the Arkansas Razorbacks from 1999-2002.
Ron Calcagni is a former quarterback for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks football team from 1975 to 1978. Calcagni was born in Youngstown, Ohio. An All-State in high school, Calcagni was initially recruited by Bo Rein to play for North Carolina State University. However, Rein left North Carolina State to coach under Frank Broyles at Arkansas and convinced Calcagni to follow him there. Rein would return to North Carolina State as head coach before Calcagni graduated from Arkansas.
Roland Sales is a former running back for the University of Arkansas and a former professional football player. His career is significant because in the 1977 season's 1978 Orange Bowl, Sales set an Orange Bowl rushing record of 205 yards that stood until the 1998 Orange Bowl when Ahman Green broke it by rushing for 206 yards. Sales and Razorbacks teammate Reggie Freeman were named 1978 Orange Bowl MVPs.
The 1978 Orange Bowl was the 44th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Monday, January 2. Part of the 1977–78 bowl game season, it matched the sixth-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks of the Southwest Conference (SWC) against the heavily-favored #2 Oklahoma Sooners of the Big Eight Conference.
Knile Rashaad Davis is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. He also had brief stints with the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Chicago Bears.
The 1975 Texas A&M Aggies football team represented Texas A&M University as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1975 NCAA Division I football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Emory Bellard, the Aggies compiled an overall record of 10–2 with a mark of 6–1 in conference play, sharing the SWC title with Arkansas and Texas. Texas A&M was invited to the Liberty Bowl, where the Aggies lost to USC. The team was ranked second in the nation after ten games before losing its final two contests. Texas A&M played home games at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
Alex Collins was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft with the 171st overall pick. He spent two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens in 2017 and 2018 before re-signing by Seattle in 2020. He played one season with the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League (USFL).
The 2015 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas during the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Razorbacks played their home games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. They competed as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas was led by third-year head coach Bret Bielema. Dan Enos served his first season as offensive coordinator, replacing Jim Chaney who left for a job with Pittsburgh. Enos was previously the head coach of Central Michigan.
Chad Patrick Kelly is an American professional football quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Clemson and Ole Miss. The Denver Broncos selected him in the seventh round with the final pick of the 2017 NFL draft, making him that year's Mr. Irrelevant. He has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts.