Rico Dowdle headed to five-time Super Bowl champion after NFL draft
Rico Dowdle came into the NFL Draft just ready to relax and wait.
It took until after the draft, but the South Carolina running back finally got his call.
Dowdle tweeted after the draft he’ll sign with the Dallas Cowboys, starting the first step of his next journey. He came through a lot in his time as a Gamecock.
Dowdle had an oft-productive but up-and-down time in Columbia. He broke into the starting lineup as a true freshman, rushing for more than 750 yards despite missing the start of the season with an injury.
He was a starter when healthy for most of the rest of his career, but he battled injuries every season, missing five games as a sophomore, one as a junior and two as a senior. Still, he led the team in rushing twice and finished 14th overall in program history in rushing yards.
He had an advantage over some of his teammates this offseason because he got to attend the NFL combine and work out before the coronavirus pandemic wiped out the program’s pro day. Dowdle said he hated it for teammates, but admitted it might give him a bit of an advantage over the general draft field (his all-around testing numbers produced one of the better combined scores at his position).
The Cowboys are led on offense by former Mississippi State star Dak Prescott at quarterback and two-time rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott. Last year, the team relied on the running back combo of Elliott and Tony Pollard, as they were the only running backs to take carries all season.
