James Cowser has always had great admiration for those who came before him.
Now Cowser is the marked man among Big Sky defensive ends. As the Southern Utah senior enters his final football season, the preseason Big Sky Defensive MVP is ready to take on the challenge of fulfilling sky-high expectations.
Cowser
“Being the preseason MVP, it’s definitely motivation,” Cowser said on a July morning from the Big Sky Kickoff media convention in Park City, Utah. “People expect a lot of me and they are going to bring their A games so I have to be prepared. I remember being a young guy in the league and looking up to (Montana State standouts) Caleb Schreibeis and Brad Daly and (Montana record-setter) Zach Wagenmann. I knew I had to compete just to keep up with them. To know that there’s kids coming after me now, I have to bring my A game.”
Schreibeis, Daly, Wagenmann and other memorable defensive ends have set the bar high for Cowser. Schreibeis and Daly are among five defensive ends to take home the Buck Buchanan Award (given to the FCS’ top defender) in the last 12 years. Wagenmann was the Big Sky’s Defensive MVP a season ago.
The 6-foot-4, 258-pound Cowser had one of the greatest individual seasons in league history last fall, breaking the record of one former Buchanan winner. He broke future NFL Hall of Famer Jared Allen’s record for tackles for loss in a season, a 2003 record set when Allen was a senior at Idaho State. Cowser piled up 28.5 tackles for loss among his Big Sky defensive linemen-best total of 85 total tackles.
As Cowser enters his final season, the two-time All-America selection is knocking on the door of some even more lofty records. With 12 tackles for loss, Cowser will reach Allen’s all-time Big Sky mark for tackles for loss in a career of 73. With nine more sacks, he’ll reach Allen’s career league record of 38.5.
“In my time in coaching college football and playing college football which is a little more than 20 years now, from a daily work perspective, the way he prepares and the self-motivation he brings on a daily basis in all aspects of his life is the single best I’ve ever seen,” SUU eighth-year head coach Ed Lamb said. “I’d be surprised if there are too many players with the maturity and the discipline and the preparation level James Cowser has at any school in the country.”
Cowser
Cowser plays with one of the highest motors in the FCS. His frame is strong and powerful. His punch and his spin move are equally explosive. But it’s the little things that set him apart.
“Attention to detail is tremendous,” SUU 12th-year defensive line coach Ryan Hunt said. “He can coach himself. He knows the mistake before I can even interject. He’s watched so much film and he’s such a student of the game, he knows exactly when his steps or hands weren’t right.
“Coaches say they don’t play favorites and all that but he’s my favorite guy I’ve ever coached. I confide in him and ask him what he wants to do. I rely on him heavily. He’s basically an assistant amongst the coaches. He has so much credibility with the other players and the coaches on staff. He’s watched more film than us. So he’s not just shooting from the hip.”
As a sophomore, Cowser helped Southern Utah to the FCS playoffs for the first time in school history. Behind a swarming defense, the Thunderbirds won several slugfests, including a 22-14 upset of Montana State in Bozeman.
Last season, Southern Utah struggled. SUU found itself as the single worst statistical defense in terms of yards allowed per game. The decline was partially because the team replaced its ball control offense with an up-tempo spread attack and partly because of a slew of injuries that occurred during an 0-4 start.
“Last year was awful, the worst thing ever,” Cowser said. “It was so frustrating. We had so many issues. But I feel like this year, we are mending them. I’m sure you are going to hear that from everyone. But we honestly believe it.
“It was so frustrating to go from top of the conference to worst in the nation. If we can compete on defense, we can compete with anyone. The year we went to the playoffs, we didn’t light up the scoreboard but we won games.”
If Cowser seems like a grown man, it’s because he is. The Fruit Heights, Utah native was the Utah 5A Player of the Year at Davis High in 2008. He signed with Southern Utah as a 230-pound defensive end with a relentless motor. He spent 2009 redshirting and packing on 15 more pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-4 frame.
Then Cowser went on a mission on behalf of the Church of Latter Day Saints. When he returned from Hong Kong, he was hardly recognizable to his Southern Utah coaches and teammates. Cowser lost nearly 40 pounds. LDS missions prevent missionaries from training with nearly the frequency and intensity a collegiate athlete does.
Ed Lamb
“That’s one of the big challenges, especially with the guys who serve internationally,” Lamb said in 2013. “They can end up in places where food just doesn’t have the same meaning or abundance it has in the states. Some of our stateside guys tend to gain weight and not necessarily good weight. They don’t have opportunities to lift weights and stay in condition. It can be shocking sometimes to see a 300-pound lineman come back at 215 pounds after he served a two-year mission in some third-world country.”
Cowser rejoined Southern Utah in 2012. He promptly put on almost 50 pounds and earned Freshman All-America honors. The next season, he got up to 245 pounds and finished 14th in the FCS with 19 tackles for loss as he earned second-team All-America honors.
“His work ethic is ridiculous,” SUU senior cornerback LeShaun Sims said. “He stays after practice all the time and runs gassers by himself. He lifts as hard as anyone. He’s always going so hard. He’s very passionate about football.”
“I haven’t been around many athletes as talented as James Cowser but I certainly haven’t been around anyone with his work ethic,” Southern Utah strength and conditioning coach Jeff Butler said. “It’s a rare combination. Some guys rely on natural talent. Some guys rely on working hard. James is a rare combination of unreal talent and unreal work ethic.”
Butler echoed Hunt in comparing Cowser to an extra coach. He said on most days, he can monitor one side of the weight room because Cowser will have the other side locked down, making sure everyone is expending maximum effort.
It’s the same attitude he brings off the field. The 24-year-old already has his degree in psychology and is closing in on his master’s in communications. He has NFL aspirations — NFLdraftscout.com has him ranked as the seventh-best DE prospect in next year’s draft — but first he wants to erase the memories of last season’s struggles.
SUU’s defense will feature Sims, 2013 All-Big Sky linebacker Matt Holley (missed last season with a torn ACL) and two-time All-Big Sky safety Miles Killebrew. Mike Needham, a starter at linebacker as a true freshman in 2012 before embarking on a mission, is also back. But the man opposing offenses will keep the keenest eye on is the captain wearing No. 53.
“I’m used to being the marked man,” Cowser said. “I don’t know anything else. I’m a really competitive person and I have really high expectations of myself so I like having high expectations on me. Some people say to keep it humble and I do but I like it out in front. I like feeling chased by others. That’s my motivation.”
Photos courtesy of Southern Utah Athletics. Head shots by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
