| Title: | Student-Athlete; Football |
| Year: | 1955 |
In the 100 years of Brewer High School football, Bobby Bower is without a doubt one of Brewer’s most spectacular players. Bower, in addition to his football exploits, played basketball (starting guard), baseball (starting catcher), and was a sprinter on the track team.
Clearly the best running back in Maine from 1952-1954, he scored 71 touchdowns in his varsity career. Several of those touchdown runs were of the extraordinary variety, many covering 20-60 yards. As a freshman he scored three TD’s in one game. Later in his high school years, Bower scored four TD’s in one game and five times in another game. On November 11, 1953 he scored both touchdowns against arch rival Bangor as the Witches beat the Rams for the first time in 14 years.
Bower’s nickname in the local media was “Mr. Touchdown”. He was also described as “flashy”, “swivel-hipped”, “hula-hipped”, and “crazy legs”. Various newspaper articles highlighted his athletic prowess: “He was a great competitor with a baffling change of pace and sudden quickness”, “He zigged and zagged on many dazzling runs”, “Bob Bower twisted his way through a maze of tacklers…He was at full speed in three steps”, “Bower had brilliant speed, ran with power and a lot of deception”. Bower led the Witches to a tie with Skowhegan for the State Championship for Class FF in 1953. He was named to the All-State team in 1953 and 1954. He was also selected to the 4th Team All-America in 1954 and named to the Bangor Commercial newspaper All-Scholastic Team (for Eastern and Northern Maine) in 1952, 1953, and 1954.
Bower went on to attend the University of Maine and graduated in 1959. He played football there in 1955 and 1956. As a sophomore, even with limited playing time, Bower scored 5 touchdowns and was the second leading scorer on the team; he also set a University of Maine one season rushing average of 7.5 yards per carry.
At the University of Maine, Bower was in ROTC and upon graduation he joined the US Army as a 2nd Lieutenant. He served his country for 16 years, including three tours of duty (total of 36 months) in Vietnam as a Huey helicopter gunship pilot. He was shot down once, received two purple hearts for wounds in combat, and received many decorations of valor including two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Bronze Stars, among many other decorations. Major Robert Bower retired from the United States Army at the conclusion of the Vietnam War in 1974 as a TRUE AMERICAN HERO.
Bobby Bower lived in Orrington, Maine for a number of years with his wife Melanie. Mr. Bower passed away in 2016, a year after his Brewer Athletic Hall of Fame Induction.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INDUCTION AND ACCPETANCE SPEECH OF BOB BOWER
Bobby Bower and Athletic Director David Utterback