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| Position | Defensive back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | April 24, 1944 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Detroit (MI) Eastern | ||||||||
| College | Michigan (1962-1966) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1967: 3rd round, 78th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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John Felix Rowser (born April 24, 1944) was an American professional football player, a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Denver Broncos.
In his rookie season, he was a member of the Packers' Super Bowl II championship team, Vince Lombardi's last title. He played college football at the University of Michigan as a cornerback and halfback, from 1963 to 1966.
Died 03/19/2024 in Southfield Michigan.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, [1] Rowser attended Eastern High School in Detroit, Michigan. [2] [3]
Rowser enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1962 and played college football for head coach Bump Elliott from 1963 to 1966. [2] As a senior, he started all 10 games at cornerback and three games at left halfback for the 1966 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled a 6–4 record, outscored opponents 236–138, and finished in third place in the Big Ten Conference. [4] Used principally on defense, he gained only 82 yards on 24 carries (3.4 yards per carry) as an offensive player. [5]
Rowser was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round (78th overall pick) of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft. [1] He signed with the Packers in March 1967, [6] and appeared in 42 regular season games for the Packers from 1967 through 1969 including the Super Bowl II victory over the Oakland Raiders in his rookie season. [1]
In March 1970, the Packers traded Rowser to Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for tight end John Hilton. [7] Rowser played for the Steelers for four years from 1970 to 1973, appearing in 47 games, including 42 as the team's starting left cornerback. [1]
In 1974, Rowser joined the Denver Broncos. He remained with the Broncos for three seasons from 1974 to 1976, appearing in 38 games, including 37 games as a starter at the left cornerback (1974) and free safety (1975–1976) positions. [1] Rowser cleared waivers and was released by the Broncos in June 1977. [8]
During his decade in the NFL, Rowser appeared in 127 games, 79 as a starter, and intercepted 26 passes for 444 return yards and four touchdowns. He also recovered six fumbles. [1] He missed, by one year, the Steelers' and Broncos' Super Bowl appearances.