Andrew Dowell (born November 16, 1996) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

for the

Memphis Showboats The Memphis Showboats were an American football franchise in the United States Football League. They entered the league in its expansion in 1984 and made the 1985 playoffs, losing in the semifinal round to the Oakland Invaders. Perhaps the ...

of the United Football League (UFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Michigan State Spartans The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 Varsity team, varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan Army, Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the sc ...

Early life

Dowell attended St. Edward High School. As a junior, he started at

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

, collecting 158 carries for 968 yards (6.1-yard avg.), 13 rushing

touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

, 17 receptions for 246 yards (14.5-yard avg.) and 3 receiving touchdowns. As a senior, he started at safety and contributed to the team winning the 2014 Division I state championship. He tallied 153

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...

(2 for loss), 6

interceptions In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team bu ...

(3 returned for touchdowns), 11 passes defensed, 47 carries for 241 yards (5.1-yard avg.), 6 rushing touchdowns, 10 receptions for 148 yards (14.8 avg.) and 3 receiving touchdowns. He received All-Ohio and Cleveland.com All-Star honors. He also practiced

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

and track.

College career

Dowell accepted a football scholarship from

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

(MSU). As a true freshman, he played 13 games mainly on

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

, leading the team with 10 tackles. As a sophomore, he made eight-of-12 starts at

, posting 67 tackles and 7 special teams tackles (second on the team). As a junior, he started all 13 games at linebacker, making 74 tackles (second on the team), 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, 4 passes defensed, one forced

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...

and one fumble recovery. As a senior, he again started all 13 games at linebacker, making 97 tackles (ranking him 10th in the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...

) along with career high tackles for losses (8.5), pass break-ups (9) and sacks (3.5). While at Michigan State, he played alongside his twin-brother David. He earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors by coaches and media, and earned the MSU Tommy Love Award for most improved player on defense.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Dowell was signed as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

by the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

after the

2019 NFL draft The 2019 NFL draft was the 84th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2019 NFL season. The draft was held on April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville. The first round was held ...

on May 1. He was waived by Dallas, with an injury designation, on August 1, 2019. He was waived from

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

on August 10, 2019.

New Orleans Saints

2019–2020

Dowell signed to the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...

on November 20, 2019. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Saints on January 7, 2020. He was waived during final roster cuts on September 5, 2020, and signed to the practice squad the next day. He was elevated to the active roster on January 2, 2021, for the team's week 17 game against the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

, and reverted to the practice squad after the game. On January 18, 2021, he signed a reserve/future contract at the conclusion of the 2020 season.

2021

Dowell made the

53-man roster The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see '' Glossary of Canadian football''. 0–9 ...

following the 2021 training camp. On September 26, 2021, in week 3, he blocked a punt against the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

' punter Jake Bailey in the second-quarter. On December 19, 2021, in a week 15 matchup against the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

Dowell became the first NFL player in 2021 to record 5 special teams stops (four solo) in a single game. He played in 16 games and finished the 2021 regular season tied for fourth in the league with 15 special teams tackles.

2022

Dowell appeared in all 17 regular season games for the Saints in 2022, racking up two forced fumbles and 7 combined tackles. He did not receive a qualifying offer following the season and became a free agent on March 15, 2023. On April 3, 2023, he re-signed with the Saints.

2023

On August 2, 2023, after sustaining a torn ACL during practice, Dowell was placed on the injured reserve.

2024

On August 23, 2024, Dowell re-signed with the Saints, but was released four days later.

Memphis Showboats

On April 14, 2025, Dowell signed with the

of the United Football League (UFL).

References

External links

Michigan State Spartans football bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dowell, Andrew 1996 births Living people Players of American football from Cleveland American football linebackers St. Edward High School (Lakewood, Ohio) alumni Michigan State Spartans football players Dallas Cowboys players New Orleans Saints players Memphis Showboats (2022) players