Speedy Bo Bowling comes back in big way

Is something special

Bo Bowling said he’s hungry and motivated. Sitting and being deprived of a livelihood will do that to a guy.

“I’ve been watching all year. I was just ready to play and let the game come to me,” Bowling said last Sunday. “I can’t even explain it. Just being in the moment and having your mind right.”

Bowling wasn’t the only reason the Alouettes defeated the Hamilton TigerCats last weekend, but he certainly contributed to the team’s 36-5 conquest. In his 2013 debut, Bowling returned five punts for 118 yards — that’s an average of 23.6 yards — including a 58-yarder on which there appeared to be no blocking.

The 5-foot-9, 183-pound speedster was named the Canadian Football League’s special teams player of the week on Tuesday — the same day linebacker Chip Cox garnered defensive player of the week honours.

If Bowling can put some life in the Als’ unpredictable special teams, coordinator Ray Rychleski undoubtedly will sleep easier at nights.

“Quite obviously, he did very well,” Rychleski said Wednesday, after the Als returned to practice at Stade Hébert. “Bo’s a veteran in this league. We knew he would definitely make good decisions. He had fresh legs and great vision.

“We’re obviously excited with the day he had.”

Bowling, now in his third season with Montreal, suffered torn ligaments in his right ankle shortly before training camp last June. He wouldn’t have been able to pass his medical, so was given two options by general manager and now head coach Jim Popp: be released or retire until healthy.

Bowling, who turns 26 on Nov. 1, chose the latter. Predictably, he didn’t believe it would take him more than four months to recover.

“I didn’t expect to see Bo this year,” Popp said. “He called us out of the blue and came a week later. He stepped right in. It was amazing.

“I didn’t expect him to be that effective. He played the game like he practised for a week. He took that to the playing field. I didn’t expect him to come to practice the way he was, let alone play the game that way.

“He’s that type of player,” Popp added. “He’s a very effective guy and he was very effective last year. He’s capable of doing that every week. It’s a blessing to get him back. We can use him.”

If Bowling was gone and nearly forgotten, the Als were never far from his heart — nor his television remote. He said he watched all their games in Oklahoma while keeping abreast of the league in general.

“It was a tough deal, mentally tough,” he said. “I had to fight through the injury and then get back — not knowing when I got back how it was going to be. It hurt, just sitting there and wanting to be back. It was something I had to fight through.

“I’ve been doing this my whole life. I’m addicted to it. I can’t get that (feeling) anywhere else.”

Bowling dressed for 12 games last season, including six starts. He caught 10 passes for 127 yards, scoring two touchdowns. He also returned punts and kickoffs. But he failed to dress for the Als’ East Division final loss against Toronto, his last game coming Nov. 3.

He returned to the Als on Oct. 10, the team having 10 days to decide his future, and played precisely 10 days later.

Had the ankle injury derailed him the entire season, Bowling know sit would have been easy for management to move on without him.

“If I would have made it past this season, who knows what would have happened,” he said, shrugging. “Honestly, I don’t know.

“I didn’t know when it was going to be, but I knew I was going to be back. I was trying my best for this season. Luckily, I have three games left.”

The Als have had mixed results on their special teams, using either Noel Devine, now injured, or Tyron Carrier.

Devine had problems holding onto the ball. Carrier scored a touchdown on both a punt and kickoff return, but has been averaging only 6.9 yards on the former. And his production has significantly decreased following some early-season conquests.

The time was right for a change.

Now the onus is on Bowling to prove he’s more than a one-game wonder. Bowling was hardly spectacular last season in that department, averaging 5.5 yards on his 31 punt returns.

But that was under former special teams coordinator Andy Bischoff. Rychleski understands he must put Bowling in a position to succeed.

“Bo’s a true professional who just fits right in,” Rychleski said. “He goes about his business and the guys will work hard for him.”

If Bowling seemed to be a deer caught in the headlights last year, attempting to make something out of nothing with limited blocking and virtually no scheme, his game appears to have evolved.

While his 58-yard return appeared to be a broken play — Bowling doing the work on his own — he now realizes he must merely get outside, get around the corner to be productive. Bowling said he gained speed and quickness while training for nearly a year.

“If you can get to the edge and break contain on this big field ... it’s a wide field,” he said. “That’s the difference.

“If you’re faster than guys, you can run away.”