Gowin Adjust To Life After The Nfl

mgsteve · July 9, 2008

Gowin adjust to life after the NFL

Jacksonville Progress

By Don Wallace

sports@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Now the shoe is on the other foot for former NFL punter Toby Gowin.

His days of being an unassuming professional football player are behind him; now he is thrust into the competitive world of commercial real estate sales.

“It’s strange. For years I was private. I wanted to shield my family from publicity and I was low key. Now I kind of have to promote my name and get out and meet people since I am selling real estate,” Gowin said.

Gowin works for Burns commercial Properties in Tyler and has for several months.

He was a punter/kickoff specialist in the NFL from 1997 to 2004. He punted for the Cowboys from 1997-99 and in 2003; he also punted for New Orleans for three years and one year for the New York Jets, his final year in 2004.

In seven seasons he had 629 punts for an average of 41.2 yards with his longest boot being a 72-yarder. Gowin had 189 punts downed inside the 20.

“I went to training camp with the Falcons in 2005 and then tried it with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2006; it just did not work out. That was the last time I punted. I was kind of bitter for a little while; I thought I could still punt. But I am over that now,” Gowin said.

Gowin is a former Jacksonville High School standout which led to him nabbing All-American honors while punting at the University of North Texas.

His final year for the “Mean Green” he punted 89 times during the season.

Gowin said he would have never made it to the NFL without the guidance and leadership of former JHS coach Danny Long and later Dennis Parker at North Texas.

“Lots of people helped me along the way. I was lucky to get coaches like Long and Parker. Plus, my family was always very supportive along the way. That is a big help; to know you have your family behind you makes it easier,” Gowin said.

Gowin smiled and his voic filled with excitement as he recounted the story of his first job in the NFL.

“I grew up a Cowboy fan; you almost have to be a Cowboy fan around here. To get a job punting for them was something,” Gowin said. “I remember the day in 1997 when I drove into Valley Ranch and Steve Hoffman (then the kicking coach) told me I had the job. I was so excited and I signed as a free agent.”

Gowin said, “To play on the same team with Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman ... it was an awesome experience. At that time I really wasn’t shocked that I was there; it was what I had been working toward for a long time.”

The one-time Fightin’ Indian who took the field in the first varsity game weighing 120 pounds soaking wet had made the big time. He said he was fortunate that in his NFL career he got to kick most of his career in stadiums with little or no wind.

“I liked kicking off better than punting. If I am kicking off then that means we scored or something good happened. If I am punting, it is the opposite. You punt when the drive stalls and you try to put the team in as good field position as you can,” Gowin said.

Gowin said seeing some of the guys on kickoff teams gave him an insight into the wild and unpredictable nature of pro football.

“Those guys on kickoff teams are crazy. Usually they are rookies or guys trying to make the team somehow. They are reckless; they really sell out their body for the team,” Gowin said. “I looked at the NFL as overgrown kids. You don’t have to grow up, you can keep playing the game.”

Gowin said he is often reminded of his 33-yard carry on a fake punt while with Dallas. He said people don’t remember his speedy carry did not spark a touchdown and three plays later he was punting, for real, again.

Gowin said, “When I first signed I was single and pro football was what I had to concentrate on. I was very dedicated and I put in all the work, because I didn’t have anything else going on. Then I got older, got married. It was harder to manage.”

Gowin married a Jacksonville graduate, Nikki Green, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. The couple have two children, Jaeger and Greenlee.

He said he was sorry to see his career come to an end. He said then Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells was less than understanding about a punter with an injured quad. He did not want to use a spot on the injured reserve for Gowin.

“I kept punting even after I got hurt. Of course I was not as affective as I would have been with two good legs,” Gowin said. “It all came down to a numbers game. Pro football is a business and that’s all part of it.”

Gowin’s dream of playing golf and fishing lasted only a few months.

“I wanted to play golf and fish, but everybody else was working. So that did not last long. Then I was a stay-at-home dad and that was a really tough job. It really made me appreciate the jobs that my wife and all the other people do staying at home to raise kids,” Gowin said.

Gowin said he is still a big fan of pro football. He enjoys watching people he knows and has followed the career of the McCown brothers, Luke and Josh.

“The McCowns are doing all right. I think quarterbacks make more money than punters. So when they retire after a few more years they can do what they want to do. I enjoyed my time in pro football. I thought I could play longer, but I have accepted my retirement now,” Gowin said.

Gowin said, “Selling commerical real estate is a challenge, a new chapter in my life. I have been working at it a while, getting all the book work done, studying all the laws and regulations.”