St. Thomas Tight End Gets NFL Tryout With Hometown Team
Charlie Dowdle has had quite a year at St. Thomas. He made national headlines and was on ESPN after converting a blind behind-the-back pass for a two-point conversion against Carleton.
He caught a pass, one-handed, for a touchdown against Mount Union in the Division III national championship game. Dowdle will also finish college with a degree in marketing from St. Thomas in two weeks. But the biggest moment of his life other than that degree might be this weekend, and it'll be in his home state.
A native of Glenview, Ill., Dowdle got a call from the Chicago Bears after the NFL Draft. He's one of several undrafted free agents being brought in for a tryout. For at least one weekend, he'll get to experience that reality of the NFL that's just a dream for most. He leaves Thursday and after paperwork and a physical, will be in his first NFL practice on Friday.
He'll know by Sunday if he gets released or will stick around for more tryouts after rookie mini camp.
"I got a call from my agent Sunday morning about five minutes before they called, so I was just basically on standby waiting for my phone to ring," Dowdle said. "It was really exciting. One of their scouts called and wants me to come down. Hopefully it leads to a contract."
Dowdle said getting an NFL tryout was an individual goal heading into his senior year. He spent time in the weight room putting on size and decided it was something he should pursue after the season.
His numbers for the Tommies this year spoke for themselves. He had 40 catches on the season for more than 800 yards and 11 touchdowns to be one of St. Thomas's top receiving threats. At tight end, he also had the job of blocking for one of the best running backs in the country in Jordan Roberts.
Dowdle was also named an All-American this year, the first tight end St. Thomas has had with such a distinction since Ryan Collins in 1997. Over his career, Dowdle had 24 receiving touchdowns and nearly 2,000 receiving yards, was a part of two MIAC championship teams, played in two national title games and had a 44-7 record.
He's the fourth player in four years for St. Thomas to get an NFL tryout. The others have been punter Garrett Maloney, fullback Willie Schneider and defensive lineman Ayo Idowu.
Glenn Caruso has coached Dowdle for the last four years and said he has the size, a skill set and toughness that makes him a match-up nightmare. But it's something else that makes him a great football player and athlete.
"It will sound like coach-speak but it's his thoughtfulness. His emotional growth mirrored his physical growth. He came in at 6-6, 197 and grew into his body," Caruso said. "He will scrutinize and evaluate every facet of everything he does."
Dowdle will practice with the Bears in hopes of being of one 10 to 15 players the team signs after its rookie mini camp. But he also knows the odds are against him and is keeping everything in perspective. The reality of the NFL is that players not selected in the draft generally have short shelf lives and are long shots to make a roster.
"I just have to be ready to go out there and I'm excited to show them everything I can do," Dowdle said. "The top D-3 talent isn't that far off D-I guys. But it's a business so we'll see. I just have to go there and do my best to give them a reason to keep me."
Dowdle was one of the top receivers last fall on a team loaded with weapons that finished as one of the top offenses in the country. He said having so many weapons made it tough for defenses to lock in on one player, and it's always fun having a guy like Roberts to block for.
"I loved blocking with that O-line. Blocking is all effort so if you can't do it, they won't put you on the field," Dowdle said.
He was also one of the key players in one of the oddest plays of the Division III football year. He's the holder for extra points, and in the win over Carleton last November, he completed a no-look, behind-the-back pass to fellow tight end Matt Christenson for a two-point conversion. You have to watch the play a few times to truly comprehend how bizarre and difficult the play was to execute.
Dowdle did, and the play appeared in highlight shows everywhere. That includes the Top 10 plays on ESPN.
"It kind of came about that week. Our opponents know we run a lot of fakes. Coach (Caruso) shot me a text describing the play. I read it three or four times and still wasn't completely sure how it worked," Dowdle said. "Once we got to the game I was just hoping we would execute it. I turned around after the throw and saw all the linemen running to him (Christenson). I ended up seeing it on the jumbotron, it was kind of unreal."
Regardless of what happens with the Bears, Dowdle said he hopes to move back to Chicago after graduation and pursue a career there, whether it's in football or business. Having the success with the Tommies, he says, has prepared him well for whatever the future holds. He definitely plans to return to St. Paul next year for football games, especially when they face St. John's.
"It was quite a run. We talk a lot at St. Thomas about not taking an easy path and it's worth it in the end. I gained a lot of good friends, it prepared me well for the next run," Dowdle said.
