U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Former Falcons quarterback Dee Dowis, a 1990 graduate of the Air Force Academy and three-year football letterman, died Aug. 29 in a vehicle accident in Gwinnett City, Ga.
According to police reports, Dowis, 48, was killed in a two-car accident on Interstate 85 around 5 a.m. ET. He is survived by his wife, Tracie, and children Madeline and Grant.
Dowis burst on the scene in 1987 as a 153-pound sophomore quarterback in head coach Fisher DeBerry’s triple-option offense, later becoming Air Force's all-time leading rusher. He finished a school-best sixth in the 1989 Heisman Trophy voting, amassed 3,612 yards rushing, 41 rushing touchdowns and a 6.7 career yards a carry average.
The Royston, Ga., native was the 1989 Western Athletic Conference offensive player of the year and earned the Downtown Athletic Club’s Exemplary Player of the Year Award. He was also named the Academy’s 1989 Male Athlete of the Year for rushing and passing more than 1,000 yards while leading the Falcons to an 8-4-1 record and berth in the Liberty Bowl. Dowis rushed for 1,286 yards and 18 touchdowns while throwing for 1,285 yards and seven scores.
As a sophomore, he rushed for 1,315 yards and 10 touchdowns while throwing for 600 yards and four touchdowns. The Falcons finished 9-4 overall, including a 6-2 mark in conference play, earning a berth in the Freedom Bowl. As a junior, Dowis added 972 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns while throwing for 870 yards and seven touchdowns.
Dowis was inducted into the Air Force Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.