College After a successful
high school playing career at
Cherokee Vocational High School that culminated with his selection to the 16th annual
AHSAA All-Star Game in 1963, Dowdy enrolled at the
University of Alabama with an
athletic scholarship to play on the
football team. After he played on the freshman football squad for the
1963 season, Dowdy stated as an
offensive tackle for the three years that followed. Over those three seasons, Alabama amassed an overall record of 30 wins, two losses and one tie (30–2–1) and won three
Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships and two
national championships. In recognition for his play on the field, Dowdy was recognized as a unanimous selection to the
1966 College Football All-America Team as an offensive tackle. He was also awarded the
Jacobs Blocking Trophy in 1966 as the best
blocker in the SEC as selected by the coaches.
Professional Dowdy was selected in the ninth round (230th overall) of the
1967 NFL/AFL draft by the
Cleveland Browns. After spending a season with the Browns with limited playing time, Dowdy was traded to the
Los Angeles Rams ahead of the
1968 season, where he was a member of their practice squad. In April 1969, Dowdy signed with the
Saskatchewan Roughriders of the
Canadian Football League. ==Death==