Joe Bowden

In 2012, Bowden was hired by the St. Louis Rams to become an assistant linebackers coach, reuniting with Jeff Fisher who was his head acoach with the Titans. On March 1, 2016, he was moved to assistant special teams coach, before leaving the team on March 17, for a job at a higher position.

On March 17, 2016, Bowden was hired by the San Francisco 49ers. He was appointed to the position of inside linebackers coach after Hardy Nickerson (who was hired in January ) abruptly quit and took a job as the Illinois defensive coordinator for his former coaching companion Lovie Smith who was also just hired by the Illini.

From 2008 to 2011, Bowden held coaching positions at Oklahoma City high schools: Mount St. Mary High School and Edmond Santa Fe High School.

In 2006, Bowden was hired as the secondary coach for the Central Oklahoma Bronchos. He held this position for 3 seasons through the year of 2008.

On May 3, 2000, the Dallas Cowboys had a lot of turnover at the linebacker position and the signing of Bowden in free agency was one of the moves made to improve the depth. He was the backup to Darren Hambrick and played in all 16 games, making 46 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 2 special teams tackles. He was cut on April 20, 2001, after failing a physical. In his career he only missed 5 of 139 games.

In 1999, Wortham regained his starting position and Bowden moved to left linebacker, during the Super Bowl XXXIV run. He registered 15 starts, 81 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries and one interception.

In 1998, with the signing of Robinson, he took over the middle linebacker starting position, replacing Barron Wortham. He recorded 145 tackles (led the team), 1.5 sacks, 6 quarterback pressures, 3 passes defended, one interception and 2 fumble recoveries.

Bowden is currently the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Missouri Baptist University Spartans. In 1998, he married Malika (Welch) and they have two daughters, Sydney and Cheyenne. He has one son, Jaylon who also plays football and is following in the footsteps of his father.

In 1997, he started 16 games at left linebacker. In the season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he suffered a broken left fibula. He tallied 84 tackles (second on the team), 2.5 sacks, one interception, 4 passes defensed one forced fumble and one special teams tackle.

In 1996, he started 16 games at left linebacker, making 73 tackles (fifth on the team), 3 sacks, 6 passes defensed and 2 forced fumbles.

In 1995, Michael Barrow moved to middle linebacker to replace an injured Al Smith, opening the door for Bowden to start 14 games at right linebacker. He posted 51 tackles, 2 passes defensed, 4 forced fumbles (led the team) and 5 special teams tackles.

In 1994, he missed the first 2 games with a quadricep injury. He started one game at left linebacker in place of an injured Eddie Robinson. He collected 13 tackles, one forced fumble and 7 special teams tackles.

In 1993, he started 6 games after replacing an injured Wilber Marshall at right linebacker. He registered 28 tackles, one sack, one pass defensed one fumble recovery and 7 special teams tackles.

Bowden was selected by the Houston Oilers in the fifth round (133rd overall) of the 1992 NFL draft. As a rookie, he played 14 games on special teams, making 9 tackles (seventh on the team).

As a junior in 1990, he led the team in tackles with 116 (3 for loss), while making one interception, 4 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He gained All-American honors as a senior, while registering 127 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 interceptions (both returned for touchdowns). He finished his college career with 286 tackles (168 solo), 2 sacks, 3 interceptions, 6 passes defensed, 3 fumble recoveries and 2 forced fumbles.

Joe Tarrod Bowden, III (born February 25, 1970) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers / Tennessee Oilers / Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma.