Police in Georgia say former Air Force quarterback Dee Dowis has died in a vehicle accident outside Atlanta.
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According to Gwinnett authorities, Dowis was traveling south in the northbound lanes of I-85, north of the Flowery Branch Road overpass, about 4:48 a.m. Monday when he pulled into the center median and began to back up his 2014 BMW.
His mastery of Air Force’s option offense not only led him to become Air Force’s all-time leading rusher with 3,612 yards, still the AFA record, but also stood as the NCAA Division I record for quarterbacks for 12 years, until Indiana’s Antwaan Randle El broke it.
Grant Dowis, Dee’s son, is a member of the Southside Christian School football team. Dowis averaged 6.5 yards per carry for his career, good for 42nd on college football’s all-time list.
Dowis was the Western Athletic Conference offensive player of the year in 1989 and earned the Downtown Athletic Club’s Exemplary Player of the Year Award. He rushed for 1,286 yards and 18 touchdowns while passing for another 1,285 yards and seven touchdowns that season.
His 1989 season is still considered one of the best in the history of college football, as he rushed and passed for over 1,000 yards while leading the Falcons to an 8-4-1 record and berth in the Liberty Bowl.
He graduated from the academy in 1990. Dowis ran for 972 yards as a junior and also tied an NCAA record when he completed 11 consecutive passes against Northwestern.
Dowis is survived by his wife, Tracie, and two children.
Dowis was inducted into the Air Force Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009, as part of the second class. Dowis lived in SC and worked as a pharmaceutical salesman. “We want to offer our condolences to his family”.
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