More Questions for Matt Bowen

[SmootSmack]

I think that must have been 2003. November

[over the mountain]

Thanks alot fellas. It was nov 16, 2003 in a 20 to 17 loss to the panthers.

my question if im not late again:

On November 16th, 2003, you had 5 tackles, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble in a Redskins' 20 to 17 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

One of those tackles came with about 2 and half minutes to play in the 4th quarter, with the Redskins leading teh game 17 to 13. Carolina and Jake Delhomme had the ball at our 37 yard line.

Delhomme threw a 30 yard completion to a then relatively unknown wide receiver named Steve Smith at our 7 yard line. On that play, you absolutely blasted Steve Smith as he was in the act of catching the ball. Somehow Steve Smith maintained possession, got up and did the "brush my shoulders off" move.

Do you remember that play?

Did you think your only hope of dislodging the ball from Smith was to blast him?

What went through your mind immediately after blasting Steve Smith but realizing he held onto the ball?

Knowing that you were coming off a concussion one week prior to that hit, if you had the chance to go back, would you have just wrapped up Smith and conceded the catch at our 7 yard line or would you do what you did, which was sacrifice your body to a train wreck collision knowing it was the only way to possibily jar the ball loose and negate the completion?

[SmootSmack]

Get all your questions in by 8pm EST tonight.

[over the mountain]

The high cost of concussions | National Football Post

I’ve had that, with the knockout and the all-night vomiting. And I had one in 2003 with the Washington Redskins when I collided with Seattle fullback Mack Strong on our own goal line with a 20-yard sprint behind me from the other hash. We both fell back. I put a hand up and went to the sideline during the opening minutes of the first quarter.

The next tackle I made, on Seattle wide receiver Koren Robinson, was pure luck. He just happened to be standing in front of me, so I tackled him.

That was late in the second quarter. I had no idea how I got there. I threw a hand up again and finally realized where I was -- in the locker room, with a sweatshirt on and an assistant trainer sitting with me. It was the fourth quarter.

Amnesia, they said, the result of a blow to the head.

I started and played the next week at Carolina, and played well — until the fourth quarter when I hit Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith on a post route. My head vibrated inside my helmet. I was foggy, discombobulated, and felt like vomiting again.

But it was my choice to be out there. I was in charge, and I told the training staff I could play. No one forced me back onto the field, but at the time, I was a starter -- and I wasn’t going to lose that over a concussion.
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Dang, i think i already got my answer. that hit/impact was so freakin vicious, that why its always stood out to me. matt knew the kind of train wreck collision he was in for but sacrificed his body and mind anyways. thats just the kind of hard nosed, sacrifice his body for the better of the team type player he was. never knew he was coming off a concussion one week prior. i vaguely remember the mack strong helmet to helmet incident the week before.

i see alot of reed doughty in him. not the most athletic player on the field but smart and willing to sacrifice his body to make the bone jarring hit if the need arises.

ps - 1 more thing. smith was in front of him and kinda made a jump as he corraled the ball. matt could have easily let smith fall to the ground or decide to take an angle on smith and wrap him up. but it was the last 2 minutes in a game we were up by 4 and the other team was driving on us. it was a crucial play. matt chose to go head on, taking a direct angle into smith in hopes of jarring the ball loose with a vicious hit. matt could have easily doen other things to ensure the tackle (smith was in the process of falling down anyway), but making a full steam direct hit was the only hope of jarring that ball loose. if it was a different player, i think you would have seen him not take such a risk for the team.

with 2 minutes to go, i want players like matt bowen out there. hungry players.

[tryfuhl]

Mr Bowen

Could you see the Skins looking like the Shanahan Broncos his last three years there or should we expect more? What differences might his newer staff provide?

[saden1]

What happened to Chris Horton? Why didn't he play much last season? Will we see more of him on the field this coming season?