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John Dowd

School
Navy
Position
Offensive Guard
Major
Mechanical Engineering

Classroom

Dowd maintains a 3.91 GPA in Mechanical Engineering. Dowd is the first Navy football player in school history to be named a two-time Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Director’s of America and is the first player in school history to be a three-time Academic All-American as Dowd was named to the second team as a sophomore. Dowd is also a candidate for the William V. Campbell Trophy which recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation.

Character

Dowd leads by example on and off the field. He tutors other players on the team that are struggling in the classroom and is always willing to go the extra mile to help a teammate. He defines what a Navy football player should be like on the field, in the classroom and in Bancroft Hall.

Community

Dowd carried out a very special flag for the home-opener against Georgia Southern on Sep. 11, 2010. The flag was raised over Ground Zero and also flew over several specials operations bases in Afghanistan. The flag was jointly raised by FDNY, NYPD, Port Authority, combat veterans and soldiers in active duty. The flag was presented to Vice Adm. Michael Miller by Capt. John Flynn before it was given to the team. Capt John Flynn FDNY (ret.) served more than 20 years, including leading an elite NYC Rescue and HAZMAT squad. On Sep. 11, 2001, his company lost seven men at the World Trade Center attacks. After the game last year, the flag was given back to the Post 911 Foundation. The organization will track it and send it around the globe to various naval commands over the next year. It will make its way back to Ground Zero this September for the 10th Anniversary memorial. Dowd was chosen to carry the flag by his teammates.

Competition

A versatile player who can also play both tackle positions as a junior, Dowd started every game, helping Navy’s offensive unit finish the season ranked sixth in the nation in rushing offense and ninth in pass efficiency (156.65). The Midshipmen reached their eighth-straight bowl game and recorded their ninth consecutive victory against Army.

Dowd has been a starter in each of the last 24 games and is part of a veteran offensive line that has Navy ranked No. 4 nationally in rushing offense, averaging 313.7 yards per game. He is a part of an offensive line that helped Navy rush for a season-high 421 yards against Southern Miss and helped pave the way for the Mids to score 40 or more points in back-to-back
games for the first time in the Ken Niumatalolo era and the first time since 2007.  Navy, 4-7, will play Army on Saturday, Dec. 10. The Mids will be looking for a series-record 10th-consecutive win over the Black Knights.