Charles Emmanuel Bowser is a hometown legend in every sense of the term.

Coming from humble beginnings in the small town of Plymouth, Bowser rose to NFL stardom with the Miami Dolphins, an achievement that inspired a generation of young athletes to train hard, dream big and hope for a better tomorrow.

To have achieved and lived the childhood dream that most young players have had and be able to pay it back to his community has been the dream of a lifetime and one he cherishes in retirement.

The son of Mary and Benjamin Bowser, Charles grew up as the youngest of 15 children. In the beginning, Charles’ early life was marred by tragedy after his mother passed away when he was three years old.

Fortunately, his oldest sister Barbara stepped up and became something of a foster mother in the Bowser household.

“I was raised by my sister Barbara…my mom passed when I was three years old. She actually left college to come back home and help my father with all us that was still in the house,” Bowser recounts. “We’re still very close and she still lives in Plymouth.”

From here, the small town boy grew quickly and he did what most guys his age did, delve into sports. His first brush with the game that would define most of his legacy came during 7th grade at Washington County Union, where Bowser’s love for the sport grew nearly as quickly as he did.

Before long, he stood at an impressive 6’3 and weighed in at well over 200 lbs. His impressive bulk made him a formidable force on the field and it wasn’t long before everyone else began to see what he was capable of. By the time sophomore year rolled around, everyone recognized the beast he was quickly becoming and saw a rare talent in the making.

“I definitely had a talent for football. Folks always knew that, even back when I was a sophomore, that I was becoming something special,” Bowser recalls.

As a PHS player, Bowser’s star grew and he became instrumental in guiding the Plymouth football team to the Conference Championship in 1977.

He would receive other noteworthy honors at that time, which included All Conference, All State and All American designations.

Even with these accolades, Bowser recalls that he never anticipated that he would be playing football professionally until his senior year in college.

After graduating from Plymouth High School in 1978, Bowser received a scholarship to attend Duke University. Aside from his athletic career, he initially entered the institution as a history major.

“Honestly, I wanted to take up Communications but they didn’t have a department for it,” he recalls. “So, I decided to sign on as a history major. History was something I enjoyed, I was always interested in it, so it made sense at the time.”

Now on the field as a Duke Blue Devil player, Bowser continued to excel and was a starter for the team for three years, eventually being named outstanding linebacker of the year...