A Jackson native, Drae Bowles is honored for his accomplishments as a football player at Jackson Christian and the University of Tennessee.
From a young age, he was athletic and fast on his feet, playing basketball and football. He played three years of high school basketball, but he knew football was his game by the time he reached middle school.
“I became more passionate about it and was playing on the JV varsity team as a seventh grader,” Bowles said. “They had me at fullback and safety that year and then running back and safety in the eighth grade.”
He was a starter as a high school freshman, playing receiver and returning punts and kickoffs. His speed and talent soon drew the attention of college scouts, and he received his first scholarship offer when he was a sophomore. That was from the Tennessee Volunteers, and it made an impression on the young star.
“Obviously, I remained open-minded about the recruiting, but they were there for me since day one, and I decided Tennessee was the best fit for me.”
Matt Underwood, Bowles’ head coach his last two seasons at Jackson Christian, made a highlight video of Bowles after his sophomore season. He showed it to the Tennessee assistant coach who was the first to visit the JC campus.
“He didn’t say anything as he watched, so I was not sure what he was thinking,” Underwood recalled. “When the video ended, he looked at me and said, ‘Coach, please don’t show this to any other coaches.’ And he stepped outside and called the head coach at Tennessee. It was a really neat moment. Things just kind of took off from there.”
Bowles piled up statistics that triggered scholarship offers from nearly 30 major schools, including Notre Dame, Michigan, Auburn, Oregon, Arkansas, Miami and Vanderbilt.
The 6-foot, 200-pound athlete had 4,550 all-purpose yards and 47 touchdowns at Jackson Christian. Clocked at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, he averaged 15 yards per catch while grabbing 171 passes for 2,569 yards and 23 touchdowns.
He added 18 touchdowns and 705 yards on 128 carries as a running back. And he scored five touchdowns and gained 1,276 yards while returning punts and kickoffs. He also had 31 tackles as a linebacker. He said his most exciting moment in high school football was returning the game’s opening kickoff for a touchdown against University School of Jackson.
A two-time all-state selection, he played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas after his senior season in 2011.
ESPN had Bowles rated as a 4-star recruit, the nation’s No. 16 prospect at wide receiver, the No. 2 overall prospect in Tennessee and the No. 47 prospect in the Southeast.
“I had great coaches who were really good to me at Jackson Christian,” Bowles said. “And I had great teammates along the way who pushed me to be the best athlete I could be.”
After graduation in 2012, Bowles went to Tennessee and was redshirted his first year. As a redshirt freshman he played in 11 games for Vols head coach Butch Jones but had to have shoulder surgery for a torn labrum. He saw action in only two games in 2014.
Bowles transferred to Tennessee-Chattanooga in the spring of 2015 and had surgery for a torn ligament in his thumb. He played in four games that fall for Mocs head coach Russ Huseman, catching two passes for 20 yards, before reinjuring his shoulder and having a third surgery that ended his college career.
Bowles, the son of Dexter and Sherry Bowles of Jackson, earned his bachelor’s degree at UT Chattanooga in 2016 and completed his master’s degree in organizational leadership in 2021 at Trevecca Nazarene University.
He and Kellie Bowles, his bride of almost six years, have one son, Greyson, who is 4. They live in Trenton, Ga., on the outskirts of Chattanooga. He works in logistics in the domestic division of Soar Transportation Group.
Drae Bowles joins Greg Goff, Audrey (Hazlehurst) Davis, Joe Holloway, and Joshua Holmes as the newest members of the Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame, when the 38th class is inducted at 6:30 p.m., April 11, at the Carl Perkins Civic Center.
Mike and Jan Kelley will be the recipients of the 2024 Billy Schrivner Distinguished Service Award, and Brevin Knight, broadcast analyst with the Memphis Grizzlies, will serve as guest speaker.
For tickets and table information, call Beth Sedberry at 731.616.8558.
(PHOTO: Drae Bowles)
