Boyd Dowler

Boyd Dowler

Dowler on a 1961 Topps trading card
No. 86
Position	Wide receiver
Uniform no.	86
High school	Cheyenne (Cheyenne, Wyoming)
College	Colorado
NFL draft	1959: 3rd round, 25th overall
Personal information
Born	(1937-10-18) October 18, 1937 (age 87) Rock Springs, Wyoming, U.S.
Height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight	224 lb (102 kg)
Career history
Playing
Green Bay Packers (1959–1969) Washington Redskins (1971)
Coaching
Los Angeles Rams (1970) Wide receivers coach Washington Redskins (1971–1972) Wide receivers coach Philadelphia Eagles (1973–1975) Wide receivers coach & pass game coordinator Cincinnati Bengals (1976–1979) Offensive coordinator Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1980–1982) Wide receivers coach Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1983–1984) Quarterbacks coach
Awards and highlights
2× Super Bowl champion (I, II) 5× NFL champion (1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967) NFL Rookie of the Year (1959) 2× Pro Bowl (1965, 1967) NFL 1960s All-Decade Team Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame First-team All-Big Eight (1958) Second-team All-Big Eight (1957)
Career statistics
Receiving yards 7,270 Receptions 474 Receiving TDs 40 Punting yards 3,987 Punts 93 Games played 162 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Boyd Hamilton Dowler (born October 18, 1937) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played 12 seasons from 1959 to 1971, eleven with the Green Bay Packers and one with the Washington Redskins. With Green Bay, he was part of the Vince Lombardi dynasty era that saw five NFL championships.

Early life

Born in Rock Springs, Wyoming, Dowler grew up in Cheyenne, where his father Walter was a high school history teacher, ^[1] who was also a former football coach who had played college football for Wyoming. ^{[2] [3]} Boyd was a three-sport athlete at Cheyenne High School. ^[4]

College career

He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes as a single-wing quarterback under head coach Dal Ward. ^{[5] [6]}

Dowler led the Big Seven conference in receiving as a junior in 1957, but spent more time as a passer and runner during his senior season. ^[2] While at Colorado, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

Pro football career

The 25th overall pick in the 1959 NFL draft, Dowler was the NFL rookie of the year in 1959, Vince Lombardi's first season as head coach. ^[7] Dowler was a two-time Pro Bowler in 1965 and 1967, and a key contributor on the Packers dynasty in the 1960s, assisting the team to five NFL championship wins and victories in Super Bowls I and II. ^{[8] [9]}

A late hit by Dallas Cowboys defensive back Mike Gaechter in the end zone following a third quarter touchdown catch resulted in a shoulder injury in the 1966 NFL Championship Game. Dowler aggravated the shoulder early in the first quarter of the first Super Bowl two weeks later, allowing seldom-used Max McGee to be a significant contributor in the game with two touchdown catches. Dowler made a big impact the following year Packers: in the 1967 Ice Bowl Bart Starr to Boyd Dowler (8-yard TD) Packers: Bart Starr to Boyd Dowler (43-yard TD) also on the Key Final Drive with a great catch when he was thrown onto the ice and hit his head. Then in Super Bowl II with a 62-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Bart Starr in the first half. He finished the game as the top receiver for the Packers, with two receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. ^[9] Dowler is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team. ^[10]

After eleven seasons with the Packers ending in 1969, Dowler played one year for the Washington Redskins in 1971. He had been acquired from the Packers for the Redskins' 1971 fifth-round pick (124th overall– Jim Stillwagon) which had been obtained from the Los Angeles Rams earlier on January 28, 1971. Dowler was on George Allen's coaching staff with the Rams in 1970 and made the transition with him to Washington as a player-coach. ^{[11] [12]}

Career statistics

Dowler retired with a career record of 474 receptions for 7,270 yards and 40 touchdowns. He led the Packers in receptions for seven seasons. ^[13]

Post career

Following his playing career, Dowler spent over 30 years working as an assistant coach and scout in the NFL. He was also announced as the head coach for the Tampa Bay Outlaws of the Professional Spring Football League in 1992, but the league folded before playing a game. Notable positions that Dowler held included the passing game coordinator role for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1973 to 1975 and, his final stop, a scout for the Atlanta Falcons. Dowler retired as a scout in 2007. ^[13]

NFL career statistics

Legend
	Won the NFL championship
	Super Bowl champion
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Receiving
		GP	GS	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
1959	GB	12	6	32	549	17.2	35	4
1960	GB	12	12	30	505	16.8	91	2
1961	GB	14	14	36	633	17.6	78	3
1962	GB	14	14	49	724	14.8	41	2
1963	GB	14	14	53	901	17.0	53	6
1964	GB	14	14	45	623	13.8	50	5
1965	GB	14	14	44	610	13.9	47	4
1966	GB	14	14	29	392	13.5	40	0
1967	GB	14	14	54	836	15.5	57	4
1968	GB	14	14	45	668	14.8	72	6
1969	GB	14	14	31	477	15.4	45	4
1971	WAS	12	7	26	352	13.5	30	0
Career		162	150	474	7,270	15.3	91	40

References

1. Held, Tom (January 22, 1997). "Fervor struck early". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 27, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
2. "Packers sign Dowler, 3rd draft choice". Milwaukee Sentinel. June 11, 1959. p. 9, part 2.
3. Paige, Woody (February 3, 2012). "Ex-Buff Boyd Dowler enjoyed a Super career with Packers". Denver Post. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
4. "Dowler shares honor with coach". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. December 29, 1959. p. 4, part 2.
5. Christopulous, Mike (December 29, 1962). "Packers' Dowling Wyoming 'rarity'". Milwaukee Sentinel. Wisconsin Salutes (special section). p. 2.
6. Huang, Jonathan (November 12, 2012). "Hall Of Fame Profile: Boyd Dowler". University of Colorado Athletics. press release. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
7. "1959 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
8. "Super Bowl I - Kansas City Chiefs vs. Green Bay Packers - January 15th, 1967". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
9. "Super Bowl II - Oakland Raiders vs. Green Bay Packers - January 14th, 1968". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
10. Christl, Cliff. "Boyd Dowler". Packers.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
11. Wallace, William N. (January 29, 1971). "Patriots Choose Plunkett as No. 1 in College Draft, Spurning Trade Offers". The New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
12. "1971 NFL Draft Pick Transactions". www.prosportstransactions.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
13. Watson, Phil (May 26, 2015). "Packers: Top 10 Green Bay Packers not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame". Dairyland Express. Retrieved January 28, 2022.

External links

• University of Colorado Athletics Hall of Fame – Boyd Dowler
• Sports Reference – college football statistics – Boyd Dowler
• Boyd Dowler at IMDb