Rowley shining for Bryant in 2019

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Gavin Rowley was just finishing up his sophomore year at Loyola Blakefield High in Maryland when a college lacrosse team from Smithfield, Rhode Island, went into the Carrier Dome and stunned top-seeded Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament.

Rowley watched as the Bryant University men's lacrosse team celebrated a trip to the 2014 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Quarterfinals and never forgot the Black and Gold. Two years later, it wasn't just the athletics, but the academics that brought Bryant back into Rowley's life.

By this time, Rowley had turned himself into a scholar in the classroom and one of the top kickers in all of Maryland. He was a National Honor Society member, a member of the National Society of High School Scholars and earned Maxima Cum Laude on the National Latin Exam. On the field, he was the 31st-ranked kicker in the Class of 2016 and earned all-state honors.

"I knew I wanted a school with strong academics, supportive staff and student body, with high-level athletics and a high-rate of employment out of school," Rowley said. "Bryant checked all of those boxes and as a result, edged out big-name programs that had recruited me like Penn State."

Rowley got to kick PATs and kick off in his first career game as a true freshman but settled in as the backup to Ricky Perez. The following year, Rowley was tasked with being the field goal kicker, the punter and the kick-off man for the Black and Gold. He knocked down 7-of-9 field goals and 36-of-38 PATs on his way to becoming the first kicker in program history to earn All-Northeast Conference honors.

The workload, however, was taxing on Rowley. While he thrived as a field goal kicker, he averaged just 36.9 yards per punt. Four games into his junior year in 2018, the Bulldogs transitioned Rowley into a role in which he would just punt and kick-off. The move worked as Rowley posted the seventh-most punting yards in program history, helped the Black and Gold recover two onside kicks and also made six tackles.

"Managing all the kicking duties was stressful and it really spread out my skill sets to the point where I was good but not great," Rowley said. "I have been able to focus on more technical aspects of specific kicking rather than practicing everything, which has enhanced my overall performance."

When he wasn't at his internship this past summer, Rowley found the most adverse conditions he could and punted. Rowley followed the wind and then kicked into it, forcing himself to deal with the conditions that are so prevalent in the Northeast during the football season. In addition, he changed the way he ate and worked out, adding nearly 20 pounds to his frame in the process.

The results of Rowley's hard work have shown through the first five games of the 2019 season. Rowley is averaging a league-leading 42.5 yards per punt, nearly six yards above his career average entering the season. He's posted a punt of 50+ yards in four of the first five games and set a program record with 464 punting yards last week vs. Saint Francis U. Rowley has also upped his kickoff average to 60.9 yards per kick, six yards better than his sophomore season.

All the while, Rowley has excelled in the classroom and has shined as a teammate. He's earned NEC Commissioner's Honor Roll honors each of his three years at Bryant, has a 3.9 GPA as a Finance major and has a job lined up after he graduates. Rowley also runs a twitter account called "BUSpecialists" that highlights the unique personalities of Bryant's special teams unit.

"Being a specialist is like being a member of a fraternity," Rowley said. "We understand the intricacies of our craft and bond over them, and we love to see other guys doing it well. Those bonds lead to strong friendships and fun times because at the end of the day we are support centers for each other. At Bryant, we take pride in being the best and are a relentless bunch. We understand the importance special teams have in dictating a win or a loss, so we strive to win always."

From the moment he watched Matt Stover kick field goals for the Baltimore Ravens as a kid, to the moment he watched the Black and Gold storm the field at the Carrier Dome in 2014, Rowley has prepared himself to be here.

"Bryant enabled me to translate my background and qualities into material achievement through a personalized education environment," Rowley said. "I attribute this to Bryant's outstanding professors, curriculum, study halls, Career Center and to football."