“There’s no place that taught me more about survival skills, whether it’s on the street or whether it’s in the classroom than Elizabeth High School.” -Todd Bowles in a 2017 Interview with Best of NJ.
Todd Bowles was born on Nov. 18, 1963, and grew up in Elizabeth, NJ, in the now-demolished Pioneer Homes projects, according to Best of NJ writer Mr. Matt Castello.
In a 2017 article, Castello wrote, "Todd's mother, Joan, raised four kids while juggling two jobs. In his youth, Bowles helped turn the Elizabeth High School football team around before playing college football at Temple, where he served as a captain for Bruce Arians, now the coach of the Arizona Cardinals".
Castello said Bowles wasn’t drafted out of college, but the Washington Redskins signed him; he made the team and was a member of its 1987 Super Bowl-winning squad. Bowles retired from the NFL in 1993 at the age of 30. After retiring, he spent time owning a gym and construction company before working as a scout for the Packers.
Days after Rex Ryan's release, the New York Jets named Bowles their new head coach and signed him to a 4-year deal on January 14, 2015, according to published reports in Wikipedia.
Reports said on December 29, 2017, the Jets organization announced that Bowles had been retained for the 2018 season and signed an extension to continue as coach through 2020.
On December 30, 2018, the Jets fired Bowles after finishing 4-12.
Bowles was hired as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive coordinator, rejoining Bruce Arians as a member of his staff after Arians was appointed as the team's head coach.
The Associated Press said the following in a February 8, 2021 article:
”Bowles played for Arians in college at Temple and was the defensive coordinator in Arizona for part of Arians’ head coaching stint with the Cardinals. Bowles was fired as head coach of the New York Jets shortly before Arians accepted the Tampa Bay job.
Under Bowles’ guidance, the Bucs have led the NFL in rushing defense each of the past two seasons. In addition, the team has improved from 27th in total defense in 2018 — the year before Bowles’ arrival — to sixth this season”.
The Elizabeth NJ -Eastwick- native's fierce Tampa Bay defensive strategies shut down three of the NFL’s top quarterbacks in the 2021 playoffs leading the team to a Superbowl Championship on Sunday, February 7, 2021
INFORMATION & IMAGE CREDIT: Wikipedia, Best of NJ writer Mr. Matt Castello, Associated Press
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