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Jan 1, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; Michigan State Spartans receiver Bennie Fowler (13) is defended by Stanford Cardinal safety Ed Reynolds (29) on a 60-yard reception in the third quarter in the 100th Rose Bowl. Michigan State defeated Stanford 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

What Happened to MSU Legend Bennie Fowler?

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 3:01 PM ET

One of the more dominant players of his era, former Michigan State wide receiver Bennie Fowler is one player that many remember from watching the Spartans of early 2010s and the Mark Dantonio era. Howler has done much more since departing from East Lansing in 2013.

Every Spartan alum takes a different path following their time with Michigan State. Fowler was talented enough to continue playing after a phenomenal Spartan career (2010-2013) that featured 1,341 career receiving yards, 11 touchdowns, a Rose Bowl title (2014), and a Big Ten title (2013).

One of Fowler's best games as a Spartan came in the 2011 Capital One Bowl against No. 15 Alabama where he posted 161 all-purpose yards as a redshirt freshman. His career only flourished from there.

I can still hear the voice of Spartan football radio broadcaster George Blaha making memorable calls on big plays that Fowler had over the years. He was a 6-1, 215-pound monster on the outside and stacked up well against any defender in the country.

The Beverly Hills, Michigan native and Detroit Country Day alum would go undrafted following the 2014 NFL Draft, signing with the Denver Broncos, the team he spent the first three years of his career with. For an undrafted player, Fowler had quite the career as he bet on himself and put in the work.

In Fowler's second NFL season in 2016, he helped Denver to their third Super Bowl in franchise history, defeating the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Fowler totaled 145 receiving yards and two touchdowns that year in 13 games.

Here's a trivia question that many do not know: Longtime NFL legendary quarterback Peyton Manning threw his final professional pass to Fowler. It was a two-point conversation late in the Super Bowl, helping Denver win by a score of 24-10.

After his final year in Denver (2017), Fowler went on to play two seasons with the New York Giants before his final year in 2020 with the New Orleans Saints. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers in May of 2021, but was unfortunately cut one month later, ending his NFL career.

Fowler totaled 1,101 receiving yards and six touchdowns in his 68-game career making him one of the more accomplished Spartans in recent history in the NFL. He is still very involved with the Spartan program and finds time to return to campus for special events.

Following his NFL career, Fowler wanted to stay in football, but on the media side of things. In April, he joined the DNVR Broncos podcast, talking with current and former players while giving his thoughts on the upcoming season.

Fowler is also the Director Strategic Development at The Caprock Group in Denver, Colorado. He is a leadership coach, consultant, and best-selling author for his book, Silver Spoon: The Imperfect Guide to Success (2020), which highlights resilience, growth, and high performance.

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