Melvin Fowler
Encyclopedia
Melvin Thaddeus Fowler, Jr. (born March 31, 1979 in Brooklyn
, New York
) is an American football
center
who is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns
in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Maryland
.
Fowler has been a member of the Minnesota Vikings
, Buffalo Bills
, Arizona Cardinals
, Detroit Lions
and Florida Tuskers.
where he was chosen Long Island
’s top lineman in a poll of area coaches. He was also a finalist for the 1996 Bob Zellner Award. He was a three-sport standout who also excelled in basketball
and lacrosse
.
at the University of Maryland
. He took over center duties in his redshirt freshman year, despite having practiced at that position for only 10 days before earning the starting job. He was a model of consistency, as he started every game (44) he played in for Maryland.
by the Cleveland Browns
. In his rookie
season with the Browns he was the backup center behind Dave Wohlabaugh
and made his first career start at center against Tampa Bay
, filling in for an injured Wohlabaugh. He dressed but did not play in three contests and was inactive for the remaining 12 regular season games and the AFC Wild Card Game at Pittsburgh.
In 2003
, his second season with the Browns, he provided depth at both the guard
and center
positions and ended up appearing in 14 games, including 10 starts. He started three games at left guard and started seven games at center. He began the season as the starting LG for the first three games.
Fowler played in 15 games for the Browns in 2004
for the 2005
season where he played in 10 games.
on March 21, 2006. He started his first 32 games with the team as their center, replacing Trey Teague
, before starting 5 of 16 games in 2008, sharing time with Duke Preston
He became a free agent in the 2009 offseason.
on August 4, 2009 after the team waived center Donovan Raiola
. He was waived on September 4, 2009.
on November 17, 2009. He was waived on December 23.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
) is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
Fowler has been a member of the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
and Florida Tuskers.
Early years
Fowler was an All-county and All-Long Island selection as a defensive lineman at Half Hollow Hills High School West in Dix Hills, New YorkDix Hills, New York
Dix Hills is a hamlet Dix Hills is a hamlet Dix Hills is a hamlet (and a census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Huntington on the North Shore of Long Island in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Dix Hills was named the 19th most affluent U.S. neighborhood by Forbes in 2008.. It is one...
where he was chosen Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
’s top lineman in a poll of area coaches. He was also a finalist for the 1996 Bob Zellner Award. He was a three-sport standout who also excelled in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
.
College career
Fowler did not allow a quarterback sack in the four years as a starterStarting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. He took over center duties in his redshirt freshman year, despite having practiced at that position for only 10 days before earning the starting job. He was a model of consistency, as he started every game (44) he played in for Maryland.
Cleveland Browns
Fowler was drafted in the 2002 NFL Draft2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
by the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season with the Browns he was the backup center behind Dave Wohlabaugh
Dave Wohlabaugh
David Vincent Wohlabaugh is a former American football center who played 9 seasons for three National Football League teams. He started in Super Bowl XXXI for the New England Patriots....
and made his first career start at center against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, filling in for an injured Wohlabaugh. He dressed but did not play in three contests and was inactive for the remaining 12 regular season games and the AFC Wild Card Game at Pittsburgh.
In 2003
2003 Cleveland Browns season
The 2003 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 51st season with the National Football League.-Schedule:-References:...
, his second season with the Browns, he provided depth at both the guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
and center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
positions and ended up appearing in 14 games, including 10 starts. He started three games at left guard and started seven games at center. He began the season as the starting LG for the first three games.
Fowler played in 15 games for the Browns in 2004
2004 Cleveland Browns season
The 2004 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 52nd season with the National Football League.- Schedule :-End of Butch Davis era:On November 30, Butch Davis resigned as Head Coach and General Manager of the team. He was succeeded by offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie. Robiskie promoted tight end...
Minnesota Vikings
Fowler was traded to the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
for the 2005
2005 Minnesota Vikings season
2005 was the 45th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 86th regular season of the National Football League.-Offseason:Red McCombs sold the Minnesota Vikings to a group led by Zygi Wilf in May 2005. Wilf was originally going to be a limited partner to Reggie Fowler. However Fowler...
season where he played in 10 games.
Buffalo Bills
Fowler was signed by the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on March 21, 2006. He started his first 32 games with the team as their center, replacing Trey Teague
Trey Teague
Fred Everette Teague III or Trey Teague is an American football center who is currently a free agent in the National Football League, unlikely to play at the age of 36...
, before starting 5 of 16 games in 2008, sharing time with Duke Preston
Duke Preston
Raymond Newton "Duke" Preston, III is a former American football center. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois....
He became a free agent in the 2009 offseason.
Arizona Cardinals
Fowler was signed by the Arizona CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on August 4, 2009 after the team waived center Donovan Raiola
Donovan Raiola
Donovan Raiola is an American football center for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Wisconsin. He played high school football at Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu, HawaiiRaiola...
. He was waived on September 4, 2009.
Detroit Lions
Fowler was signed by the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
on November 17, 2009. He was waived on December 23.