Fourth in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Mark Bowman, Mater Dei tight end.
Imagine seeing 6-foot-4, 230-pound sophomore Mark Bowman gliding on a snowboard down a mountain. You’d want to get out of his way because if there’s a collision, the likely outcome is doom for the other person.
Luckily, Bowman’s snowboarding days are pretty much on hold. He has moved from Colorado to Huntington Beach and now plays tight end for Santa Ana Mater Dei.
“I don’t do it anymore because I don’t want to get injured,” he said.
There aren’t many 16-year-old tight ends projected to be better than Bowman, who caught four touchdowns among his 11 receptions as a freshman, runs a 4.6-second 40-yard dash and makes defensive backs uncomfortable when they see him lined up and wonder how they’re going to deal with his size, physicality and athleticism.
The player he identifies with is first-round NFL draft pick Brock Bowers.
“That’s who I see as a tight end who doesn’t just have his hand in the dirt,” Bowman said of the former Georgia Bulldog now with the Las Vegas Raiders. “You can put him anywhere on the field and make something happen. Running, blocking, going out for a pass. It’s versatility.”
Bowman is 20 pounds heavier than last season but still fast and getting stronger. There’s little doubt that over the next three seasons playing high school football, he could develop into a distinctive weapon, something seen in college and the NFL with tight ends who are versatile.
Mater Dei’s new coach, Raul Lara, knows what a good tight end looks like since he was the coach at Long Beach Poly when future Hall of Famer Marcedes Lewis was on the team in 2001. Bowman will need to read up on Lewis, who signed up for his NFL record 19th season playing tight end.
“I heard he’s a good player,” Bowman said.
Bowman was a quarterback until he moved to San Diego in eighth grade and attended a sports academy.
“I started to secretly play receiver and tight end,” he said.
His father liked him as a quarterback, but Bowman was right to focus on receiving with his good hands and growing body. By freshman year, he enrolled at Mater Dei. He remembers his first practice.
Mark Bowman (19) celebrates with teammate Marcus Harris after after scoring Mater Dei’s first touchdown against San Mateo Serra in the CIF Open Division state championship bowl game Saturday at Saddleback College.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
“I show up with a buzz cut. I walk in, ‘Who’s this guy?’” Bowman said.
By the fall, he was mature and physical enough to earn playing time. By season’s end, when Mater Dei won the Southern Section Division 1 title and Open Division bowl game, his reputation as a possible future standout was well known.
He certainly understands the attitude and requirements to play tight end.
“You have to be really smart,” he said. “All the people I talk to, ‘Yeah, our guy was a quarterback.’ You have to be able to see the field, read the coverage, find the open spots, do run blocking.”
Sophomore tight end Mark Bowman of Mater Dei.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
The big focus for Bowman this season is to improve what he does after he catches a pass.
“The big thing for me is breaking tackles,” he said. “Going straight from Pop Warner to varsity was a big jump. The first time I got tackled, it was, ‘All right, this is how they tackle.’”
Bowman said a major reason for coming to Mater Dei was preparation for college. He’s going against future college opponents or teammates every day in practice.
Bowman still thrives on extreme sports. He’ll be happy to demonstrate his skills as a skateboarder or mountain bike rider. Yet that and more was put on hold to fulfill his destiny to be a top tight end.
Friday: Jake Flores, JSerra offensive lineman.
Tight ends to watch
Stevie Amar; Oaks Christian; 6-4; 225; Sr; Had 35 receptions, six touchdowns as a junior
Mark Bowman; Mater Dei; 6-4; 230; So.; Sky’s the limit for the growing sophomore
Zach Giuliano; Corona del Mar; 6-6; 230; Sr.; Stanford commit continues school’s tight end tradition
AJ la; Orange Lutheran; 6-6; 240; Sr; Arizona State commit has size to push around opponents
Vander Ploog; Troy; 6-6; 225; Sr; Washington commit used athleticism, physicality to become standout