HIS HIDDEN DEPTHS
Fans don’t get to see Bowles’ human, or disciplinarian, side
WILLIE COLON wishes Jets fans could get to know the Todd Bowles he knows. Colon played for Bowles in 2015, the coach’s first year with the Jets. Colon was dealing with a chronic knee injury for most of the year. A day after a loss in Oakland, a game in which Colon struggled, he was summoned to Bowles’ office. “Listen, I’m going to put you on IR,” Bowles said, ending Colon’s season and his career. “I care more about you as a man than a football player,” Bowles told him. “You’re putting yourself in danger. I want to see you play with your kids. I want to see you have a life outside of these walls.” Tears started coming down Colon’s face, and he left Bowles’ office furious at the coach. After talking to his wife and praying for a few days, Colon realized Bowles had done him a favor. Two weeks later, Colon went back to Bowles’ office to thank him. “Todd protected me, and I’m forever in his debt because of it,” said Colon, now an SNY analyst. “That’s the type of depth this man has. He’s battle-hungry. He wants to win. He wants it all. But he cares about those guys in the locker room. Those guys care about him. It’s just tough bbecause of what this season can become. That’s ggoing to be overshadowed.
“The public will never see that side. That breaks mmy heart.”
This season, Bowles has more hurdles to clear than an Olympic sprinter to save his job.
The on-field challenges for his team have been well-documented — from the quarterback situation to a bunch of no-name wide receivers.
But away from the field, Bowles also faces a perception problem. He currently is less popular with Jets fans than A.J. Duhe. Part of that is about the team going 5-11 last year, but it also stems from how little of himself he shows to the public.
The Jets face a decision after this season over whether to fire Bowles, bring him back for the final year of his contract, or give him an extension. If things go as expected, Bowles is going to need something more than his win-loss record to help him. He could start
by revealing more of his personality.
Bowles is a truly funny guy, but his press conferences are as enjoyable as a colonoscopy. His sideline demeanor ranges from stone-faced to … stonefaced. It leaves an impression with the fans that their coach is passionless.
The truth is far from that. When the cameras are not on, Bowles is energetic and not afraid to raise his voice. His laugh is contagious.
With his players, he praises them and punishes them when they need it.
“He’s a real open person with us,” tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins said. “There’s no bull[crap]. There’s no lies. It’s real straight up and forward. He treats it like a family, like how I expect my dad to talk to me. No bull[crap]. This is what needs to be done. This is what needs to stop.”
Somehow a narrative developed last season that Bowles is lax in the discipline department. Perhaps it is because Bowles rarely calls out a player publicly. In fact, he sometimes goes overboard defending his players, like the comment about “sometimes your alarm clock isn’t going to go off ” about Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson being late. That was a dumb comment, but Bowles made it from a place of trying to stick up for his guys.
Behind the scenes, though, Bowles gets on players, fines them if they violate the rules and does not let situations fester.
“From Day 1, he’s been a guy to nip things in the bud and he doesn’t repeat himself,” Colon said.
Colon said players won’t walk all over Bowles.
“There’s a level of fear with Todd,” Colon said. “I don’t think he’ll ever let the world see that because it’s not for the world.”
Staying in-house with things can be smart, but so can giving the fans a glimpse of what is going on in that house. He did it this week when he made it clear Richardson needed to pipe down. Bowles needs to do it more.
Bowles is focused solely on winning games, not popularity polls, so it is unlikely he will change. Those close to him say he has no interest in trying to win over fans, who he feels already have formed their opinions of him.
Bowles has worked hard on changing the culture around the Jets this year, and there are some good, young players already on the roster. But will Bowles be around to see this thing through?
“There’s pieces brewing, but you don’t know because of what the season might become if he will have the time to serve New York a solid team and the contending, championship team we’ve been craving all along,” Colon said.
When Bowles was hired, someone who worked with him said, “It’s impossible not to like Todd Bowles.”
Jets fans have found a way. Bowles still can turn that around, but he is running out of time.