NDSU football: Bowman cleared to begin practice

By Jeff Kolpack

July 28, 2008 11:00 PM

FARGO -- Richard Bowman's road back from a neck injury took another turn for the better last Friday. He received medical clearance to begin practice on Friday.

The North Dakota State junior cornerback was also granted a medical hardship by the NCAA, meaning he has two more years of eligibility. The run of good news had him in high spirits on Tuesday.

"I was expecting good news because I haven't had any setbacks," he said. "Everything has been going great and it's just getting better."

Bowman was hurt in last year's season opener. Surgery was needed to correct spinal stenosis, a condition brought on by the narrowing of the spinal canal. Doctors told him it was possible he was born with it.

"Now we have to see how everything flows once I get back," Bowman said.

Most important: how will he handle the first few hits?

"That will be the biggest challenge - not being worried about getting hurt and coming up as strong as I have before," he said. "I believe I will overcome it."

For more on this story, see tomorrow's Forum.

By Jeff Kolpack

Jeff would like to dispel the notion he was around when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, but he is on his third decade of reporting with Forum Communications. The son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, Jeff has worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he's covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995.
Jeff has covered all nine of NDSU's Division I FCS national football titles and has written three books: "Horns Up," "North Dakota Tough" and "Covid Kids." He is the radio host of "The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack" April through August.