Academy loses one of all-time greats
8/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dee Dowis, one of the all-time gridiron greats in Air Force Academy history, was killed on Monday, Aug. 29, in a vehicle accident in Gwinnett City, Ga., according to officials. Dowis is a 1990 graduate of the Academy and three-year football lettermen.
One of the most beloved players in school history, Dowis electrified college football when he burst on the scene in 1987 as a 153-pound sophomore quarterback in head coach Fisher DeBerry's triple option offense. By the time he was finished, Dowis became the Academy's all-time leader rusher and finished a school best sixth in the 1989 Heisman Trophy voting. The numbers he amassed were staggering: 3,612 yards rushing, 41 rushing touchdowns and a 6.7 career yards per carry average.
Dowis was the Western Athletic Conference offensive player of the year in 1989 and earned the Downtown Athletic Club's Exemplary Player of the Year Award. He was also named the Air Force Academy's Male Athlete of the Year in 1989.
His 1989 season is still considered one of the best in the history of college football, as he rushed and passed for over 1,000 yards while leading the Falcons to an 8-4-1 record and berth in the Liberty Bowl. Dowis rushed for 1,286 yards and 18 touchdowns while throwing for 1,285 yards and seven scores.
He rushed for 1,315 yards and 10 touchdowns while throwing for 600 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore. The Falcons finished 9-4 overall, including a 6-2 mark in conference play, and earned a berth in the Freedom Bowl. Dowis added 972 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns while throwing for 870 yards and seven touchdowns his junior year.
Dowis was inducted into the Air Force Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009, as part of the second class. Originally from Royston, Ga., Dowis worked as a regional sales manager for a successful pharmaceutical company in South Carolina. He is survived by his wife, Tracie, and children, Madeline and Grant.
DEE DOWIS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Class of 1990
- Finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 1989 - highest finish ever for an Air Force player
- Won the Downtown Athletic Club's Exemplary Player of the Award in 1989
- WAC Offensive Player of the Year in 1989
- Broke the school record for most rushing yards in a game with 249 in 1989 vs. San Diego State
- AFA Male Athlete of Year, 1990
- Led team in rushing twice and passing three times
- 1989 team co-captain
- Inducted into Air Force Academy Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009
