When Drew Fowler committed to coach Chris Petersen and the Washington Huskies in 2019, he held over 20 scholarship offers, including UCLA, Utah, Oregon State, and Louisville. However, the product of nearby Bellevue High School decided to walk on with his hometown school.
Now, after enduring his third and final head coaching change while on Montlake, Jedd Fisch decided that Fowler should be rewarded for his efforts and loyalty. Washington’s new head coach called the 6-foot-1, 222-pound linebacker into his office on January 17, one day after he was official introduced to his new position, to meet the veteran and quickly placed him on scholarship.
“Oh, we’ll get that fixed then,” Fisch reportedly told Fowler after the he told the former Arizona head coach he wasn’t on scholarship.
“It just happened so quickly,” Fowler told the Seattle Times’ Andy Yamashita. “I was like: ‘Wait a minute. Did he just do what I think he did?'”
While mainly playing on special teams, Fowler has recorded 29 tackles over his four seasons on Montlake, but could be asked to step into a bigger role alongside San Jose State transfer Bryun Parham this season.
After seniors Edefuan Ulofoshio and Ralen Goforth utilized their final year of eligibility in 2023, inside linebackers coach Robert Bala is looking for depth behind projected starters Carson Bruener and Alphonzo Tuputala.
“It’s easy to sit here now obviously, having just gotten through it, to act like it was easy,” Fowler said. “It’s one of those things that all these difficulties and challenges have made me who I am.”
Fisch also offered to back pay the scholarship to 2023 since Washington didn’t utilize all 85 scholarships last season, giving Fowler an extra year of financial aid.