Where are They Now Wednesday - Mike Dowis
11/6/2013 9:44:00 AM | Football
Wednesday of each week during the football season Georgia Southern Athletics will catch up with a former coach, administrator, student-athlete, trainer, cheerleader, etc. to see where they are now and how their time at Georgia Southern helped get them there.
Mike Dowis
Georgia Southern Football
1988-90
Hit three field goals, including the game winner in the 1989 National Championship game against Stephen F. Austin... Made a 41-yard field goal in the 1990 National Championship game... Played in three national championship games... Part of two GSU national championship teams... Ranks second in Eagle history with an 81.9 career field goal percentage... Transferred to Georgia Southern from Georgia Tech.
Q: Where are you currently employed and what is your position?
MD: "Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at North Oconee High School in Bogart, Georgia. Day-to-day I run the athletic department at North Oconee. I have assistant principal duties which include administrating the senior class, handling discipline and working with teachers."
Q: What are some of your favorite memories as an Eagle?
MD: "We won two national championships which obviously ranks pretty high on the list, but mainly just being a part of the team at that time. It was a very exciting time to be there. I had great teammates and friends, and we had a real bond. Everybody there was a part of it. The whole experience was so good. We made it to the national championship game all three years I was a player there. I am just thrilled to have been a small part of what we did at that time."
Q: What was it like to be a part of the 15-0 team in 1989?
MD: "That whole team was special. We all were just so together and, of course, coach Russell led all that. There was so much focus on the team. We never went on the field not ready to play. Everything just always clicked with that team. We had that goal at the beginning of the year to go undefeated. I have coached now for 21 years and the bond on that team was like nothing I have ever experienced."
Q: How was playing for Erk Russell?
MD: "Playing for Erk was absolutely fantastic. He was a unique person. What you saw was what you got. Erk was Erk and nobody else was Erk. He was a player's coach. He loved his players and his players loved him. That was probably the biggest thing I learned from him in coaching. You have got to love your kids. He made everything special. I am so thankful for him giving me an opportunity to be a part of it."
Q: When you chose to transfer why did you pick Georgia Southern?
MD: "I had made the decision that I was going to leave Georgia Tech the Saturday after we had played The Citadel. I went in to tell Bobby Ross I was going to leave, and I really did not know where I was going to go. I just knew I wasn't happy as a student at Tech. I wasn't getting to do what I wanted to do academically. As I was sitting waiting to go into his office, I picked up a copy of Sports Illustrated that was on the coffee table and it had a story about Erk Russell and starting the program at Georgia Southern in it. I sat there and read that article and when I went in to see Bobby Ross I told him I was leaving. He asked 'Where are you going?' I said 'Georgia Southern' and that is where I went."
If you have a suggestion for Where are They Now Wednesdays, let us know on twitter @GSAthletics.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics, and its "Eagles GATA" mobile app for Android and iOS.
Mike Dowis
Georgia Southern Football
1988-90
Hit three field goals, including the game winner in the 1989 National Championship game against Stephen F. Austin... Made a 41-yard field goal in the 1990 National Championship game... Played in three national championship games... Part of two GSU national championship teams... Ranks second in Eagle history with an 81.9 career field goal percentage... Transferred to Georgia Southern from Georgia Tech.
Q: Where are you currently employed and what is your position?
MD: "Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at North Oconee High School in Bogart, Georgia. Day-to-day I run the athletic department at North Oconee. I have assistant principal duties which include administrating the senior class, handling discipline and working with teachers."
Q: What are some of your favorite memories as an Eagle?
MD: "We won two national championships which obviously ranks pretty high on the list, but mainly just being a part of the team at that time. It was a very exciting time to be there. I had great teammates and friends, and we had a real bond. Everybody there was a part of it. The whole experience was so good. We made it to the national championship game all three years I was a player there. I am just thrilled to have been a small part of what we did at that time."
Q: What was it like to be a part of the 15-0 team in 1989?
MD: "That whole team was special. We all were just so together and, of course, coach Russell led all that. There was so much focus on the team. We never went on the field not ready to play. Everything just always clicked with that team. We had that goal at the beginning of the year to go undefeated. I have coached now for 21 years and the bond on that team was like nothing I have ever experienced."
Q: How was playing for Erk Russell?
MD: "Playing for Erk was absolutely fantastic. He was a unique person. What you saw was what you got. Erk was Erk and nobody else was Erk. He was a player's coach. He loved his players and his players loved him. That was probably the biggest thing I learned from him in coaching. You have got to love your kids. He made everything special. I am so thankful for him giving me an opportunity to be a part of it."
Q: When you chose to transfer why did you pick Georgia Southern?
MD: "I had made the decision that I was going to leave Georgia Tech the Saturday after we had played The Citadel. I went in to tell Bobby Ross I was going to leave, and I really did not know where I was going to go. I just knew I wasn't happy as a student at Tech. I wasn't getting to do what I wanted to do academically. As I was sitting waiting to go into his office, I picked up a copy of Sports Illustrated that was on the coffee table and it had a story about Erk Russell and starting the program at Georgia Southern in it. I sat there and read that article and when I went in to see Bobby Ross I told him I was leaving. He asked 'Where are you going?' I said 'Georgia Southern' and that is where I went."
If you have a suggestion for Where are They Now Wednesdays, let us know on twitter @GSAthletics.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics, and its "Eagles GATA" mobile app for Android and iOS.
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