MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin redshirt senior long snapper Peter Bowden has been named a finalist for the Patrick Mannelly award, an honor given to the nation’s top long snapper. After being named a semifinalist last season, Bowden joins Nebraska’s Marco Ortiz and NC State’s Joe Schimko as the nation’s three finalists this fall.
Bowden, a San Diego, Calif., native, began his Badger career as a walk-on before being moved onto scholarship in early 2021. Since then, Bowden has played in 38 consecutive games as Wisconsin’s long snapper.
This fall, Bowden has helped kicker Nathanial Vakos to a perfect 30-for-30 clip on extra points and a 14-for-17 performance on field goals. Vakos has missed only one kick from inside 50 yards this season. With the Badgers’ punt unit moving to a new rugby-style scheme in 2023, Bowden has provided a seamless transition by executing snaps to first-year punter Atticus Bertrams. Bowden has helped Bertrams rack up a 41.8 yards per punt average through 58 punts this season.
The Mannelly Award, created in 2019, benefits Bernie’s Book Bank, a non-profit organization located in Lake Bluff, Ill. The award is named after Patrick Mannelly, a long snapper at Duke, who played 16 years in the NFL (1998-2013) with the Chicago Bears.
The 5th Annual Patrick Mannelly Award dinner will take place on Saturday, Dec. 9 in Chicago, where the winner of the 2023 Patrick Mannelly Award will be announced.
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