Dowling excelling for UT Martin

by Matthew Ondesko: Managing Editor

Football can be a journey.

For UT Martin’s Max Dowling his journey to being a starter for the Skyhawks had some twists, turns and stops. But, through it all, Dowling never wavered from his dream of playing big time college football.

While his time at Kansas only lasted one year, the decision to transfer to UT Martin was a blessing in disguise. Dowling had many offers to play throughout the country, but UT Martin was the one that stood out.

“First, after my time at Kansas and my decision to transfer I found UT Martin and kind of took a gamble,” stated Dowling. “I had multiple opportunities all over the place to go and play but Martin stood out as a place where I can make the biggest immediate impact, which is what I wanted.”

After redshirting his first year at Kansas, one would think Dowling would have had a little rust heading into last season. While you can practice all you want, there is something about playing in an actual game.

The speed of the game is a lot faster than practice. But, Dowling didn’t show the rust you would think he had after not playing for a couple of years. Once he got back on the field it was like the Buffalo native never left.

“I wouldn’t say it was tough it was definitely unique though being you can practice all you want but in game is so much faster and violent,” stated Dowling. “Playing after that two year gap seemed like it never happened after I got back in the flow of everything going on. I also definitely felt the strides I made in my game during that redshirt year as well.”

His welcome back to college football moment was his first game for UT Martin. The Skyhawks only traveled to back-to-back National Champions Georgia for their first game of the season. It was a surreal moment for the young man who was dreaming of this day.

Being able to suit up for that game showed that all the hard work he had put in during the practices really paid off.

“Getting on that field especially my first game be at Georgia following their b2b national championships was truly incredible,” stated Dowling. “One thing with football is practice can truly be a grind and finding my way on that field gives you that feeling that makes you know why you grind through everything we do as players. The work pays off.”

The work has paid off for the 6-foot-6, 240 pound tight end. After only getting three catches last year, Dowling has been a force for the Skyhawks, going for 246 yards on 18 catches, and five touchdowns.

He had a big game this past Saturday, scoring two touchdowns to go along with his three catches and 70 yards. He knew coming into the season that he and a chance to make a sudden impact. That’s why the offseason was so important. He really focused on getting his body ready for the long season, among other things.

“This off season was definitely my most important as I was preparing to start this year for UTM. I really focused on my technique in both the blocking and passing game along with getting myself in shape to prepare for the long season,” stated Dowling. “One key thing to me was pre-hab and making sure my body was ready for a season and try and be injury free.”

The journey that got him to where he is today is an interesting one. He started playing football at Canisius High School, an All-Boys Catholic school. His time at Canisius was marred with Covid, and a season that was played in the spring with just five games.

“My Canisius journey was great and I loved but I definitely got hit by the Covid bug there. We had a spring season of 5 games but I screwed up my ankle bad on the first play and really missed that spring season,” stated Dowling. “This lead me to going to Palmetto Prep so I could get for film and find college opportunities. Along with giving myself time for Covid to be sort out throughout the NCAA>

During the spring season, Dowling got injured and missed most of the year. From there, Dowling made the hard decision to leave and go play for a prep school in South Carolina. Dowling gives the Canisius credit for getting him where he is today, especially in the classroom.

Canisius has prepared Dowling well so when he got into a college it wasn’t such a culture shock when it came to his academic studies.

“I felt like Canisius prepped me so well for college and honestly made college easy for me,” stated Dowling. “I handled the college work load well and was prepared for managing my time getting my work done. This has lead me to succeed in the classroom.”

And success on the field, this is just the beginning for Dowling. The redshirt sophomore as big plans for himself during his time at UT Martin, and bigger plans for after. But, it all starts with being consistent on the field.

Being able to go out there every day, and make plays, having his teammates rely on him is something he knows he needs to bring to the table.

“Consistency is always what’s most important. I haven’t met any job I couldn’t do. Growing off my mistakes and continuing that especially as I train in the offseason,” stated Dowling. “I definitely dream big and want the most for myself and want to continue to grow my game. Dream for the NFL but that starts with going all conference, all American, and finding my opportunities to get the next level.”