Cowins played alongside
Ron Calcagni,
Chicago Bears great
Dan Hampton and record-setting kicker
Steve Little, and was the University of Arkansas' all-time leader in
rushing attempts (635), rushing yards (3,570), rushing touchdowns (30) and 100-yard rushing games (16), all of which were later surpassed by
Darren McFadden. Cowins helped Arkansas to a win over the
University of Georgia in the
Cotton Bowl. However, he was suspended by head coach
Lou Holtz for team violations stemming from an on-campus incident prior to the
1978 Orange Bowl victory over
Oklahoma. In the Razorbacks' decisive 31–6 victory, backup running back
Roland Sales set an Orange Bowl record of 205 rushing yards, a mark that stood for two decades. Cowins later played during a 10–10 tie in the
Fiesta Bowl against
UCLA. During Cowins' tenure, the Razorbacks went 10–2 in 1975, 5–5–1 in 1976, 11–1 in 1977 and 9–2–1 in 1978. ==Professional career==