‘I can do it all’: Lynn Bowden Jr. looks to be a playmaker the Raiders have desired
Las Vegas Raiders running back Lynn Bowden Jr. knows the history of University of Kentucky players drafted by NFL teams.
He’s well aware of the success some of those players have enjoyed in pro football, and he hopes he’ll be the latest.
“There were a lot of successful guys that were before me,” he told The Bee in a recent interview. “I just want to follow them in their shoes just as far as being successful in life and have a long career just playing the game of football.”
Bowden was selected by the Raiders in the third round (80th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft. He will become the ninth former Wildcat to play for the Raiders.
One of the former Kentucky players to play for the silver and black is Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback/kicker George Blanda, though he was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1949.
Blanda played for the Raiders from 1967-1975 and helped Oakland to a 40-7 victory over the Houston Oilers in the AFL Championship game in his first season with the team.
Blanda was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981 after playing 26 seasons for multiple teams.
Just like Blanda, the 5-foot-11 Bowden is open to playing multiple positions. At Kentucky, he played quarterback and wide receiver and was a return man on special teams.
“I’m multi-talented,” he said. “I’ll play whatever position I need to play. I’ll never limit myself to just playing just one position because I can do it all.”
‘Landed with the right team’
Like most players, Bowden felt he should have gone higher in the draft.
But he knows everything plays out for a reason.
“Anybody in their right mind should feel that way and feel like they’re the best player or playmaker,” he said. “The way I feel, I should’ve been picked up in the first, but it all played out right and I landed with the right team and right coach at the right time.”
It was at the NFL Scouting Combine where Bowden began to believe he would get drafted at some point by the Raiders.
He didn’t know when, but there was a big reason he was confident that Las Vegas would be his destination.
“I got the vibe from coach (Jon) Gruden that he liked me,” he said. “I feel like when we met at the combine that we clicked really well. I knew it was go-time after that. After a certain amount of picks I knew what time it was.”
Missed call from Derek Carr
Many family, friends and the Raiders franchise itself offered Bowden congratulations when his name was called. There was one phone number that popped up, though, that he didn’t recognize.
So he didn’t pick up.
Oops.
He figured out it was Derek Carr — yes, that Derek Carr, the Raiders starting quarterback — trying to reach him.
Not exactly the guy you want to snub if you’re trying to find a home in your new team’s backfield. Bowden was listed as a wide receiver but will start out as running back with Las Vegas because of his versatility.
Bowden quickly returned the call to the former Fresno State star and apologized.
“At first I was like I was almost confused because a lot of people from the organization were calling me and then I had to like realize who just called me,” he said.
“I called him back and I was like, ‘Oh shoot, that’s my quarterback.’ I was excited to hear from him and we’re ready to rock and roll.”
This story was originally published July 10, 2020 at 6:45 PM.
