National Football Foundation

A three-year letterman, John Dowd has helped propel Navy into the national spotlight while also setting an example for younger students and excelling academically. He is the school's eighth NFF National Scholar-Athlete and first since 1999.

A native of Staten Island, N.Y., Dowd carries a 3.91 GPA as a mechanical engineering major. He was a CoSIDA/ESPN First Team Academic All-American in 2010, only the fifth First Team selection in Navy history, and is on pace to become the school's first two-time First Team Academic All-American. Dowd was also a CoSIDA/ESPN Second Team Academic All-American in 2009.

Dowd has been an anchor on one of the country's most unstoppable rushing offenses throughout his career at Navy. The Midshipmen rank third in the country this season, averaging 325.7 rushing yards per game. With Dowd's help, Navy finished sixth nationally in rushing in 2010 and fourth in 2009, while Ricky Dobbs set an NCAA record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in consecutive years during that span. He has aided the Midshipmen to a 29-18 record in his career, including a 10-4 finish and a victory over Missouri in the Texas Bowl in 2009. Navy captured the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy during Dowd's freshman and sophomore seasons, and the Midshipmen have enjoyed a perfect record against Army during his career.

In addition to his efforts in the classroom and on the gridiron, Dowd also devotes a significant amount of time in various community outreach initiatives through Navy Athletics. He completed one deployment on the USS New Hampshire and currently serves as an Engineering Officer of the Watch for the U.S. Navy.