TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Da’Quan Bowers is eager to prove the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were right, and 31 other teams were wrong about a knee injury that hurt his stock in the NFL draft.
The former Clemson defensive end led the nation in sacks last season and was considered a probable top 10 pick before undergoing surgery in January.
Some teams shied away from him on draft day, fearing a less than full recovery might shorten his pro career. But the Bucs were encouraged by the medical reports they gathered on the 2010 Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year and felt comfortable with selecting him in the second round to help bolster a sagging pass rush.
