Key piece to Vanderbilt defense returns to practice on Monday
By Nick Cole
Published:
As a redshirt freshman, LB Nigel Bowden led the Vanderbilt defense with 78 tackles in 2014.
So when 2015 rolled around, it was understandable that Commodores fans were expecting to see big things from the talented linebacker.
Things didn’t turn out as planned.
Bowden suffered a concussion in the second game of the season, which kept him out of the team’s final 10 games.
The prolonged recovery period for the head injury left some wondering about his long-term outlook on the football field.
But after the Commodores finished up their first practice of the spring on Monday morning, The Tennessean’s Adam Sparks delivered some good news to Vanderbilt fans:
LB Nigel Bowden was at practice today "at 100 percent" after missing 10 games due to concussions. He was Vandy's top tackler in 2014.
— Adam Sparks (@AdamSparks) February 22, 2016
Assuming Bowden is able to continue working through the spring without incident, he’s set to team up with fellow linebacker Zach Cunningham, who tallied 103 tackles in 2015, to make a very formidable linebacker duo for Derek Mason’s defense.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
