"It was horrible" - When Brock Bowers' dad spoke about competitiveness in genes and taunting other families at LegoLand

Brock Bowers has the potential to become one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 243 lbs, he has a very deadly combination of strength, speed, explosivity and agility, which has allowed him to dominate opposing secondaries and score touchdowns for the Georgia Bulldogs.

He can thank his family for that - his father Warren also played football as a center, while his mother DeAnna played softball, eventually being followed to that sport by his sister Brianna. They also inspired his competitive drive, sometimes to a fault. In 2021, Warren admitted:

"It was horrible. Our best story is that we went to LegoLand (in Southern California) and they had these pump fire engines. ... And you'd pump down to the end, spray water in the thing to win.

"And they basically let the winner stay on. And the whole family's high-fiving, yelling to the point of taunting. That was a poor piece of parenting, but it was true fun."

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Brock Bowers' stint with Raiders represents a full-circle moment for TE

At the time Brock Bowers was being scouted, the Las Vegas Raiders weren't thought to be a team whose radar he would be on.

After all, they already had a capable tight end in Michael Mayer and were among the most quarterback-needy franchises, given the lack of depth Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew would provide.

However, new general manager Tom Telesco gambled on the former Georgia Bulldog anyway, thinking that he would add a dynamic offensive weapon. As it would turn out, he already had some history with Nevada and the Raiders.

Back when the team was still based out of Oakland, Bowers, then a kid raised in Napa, California, would watch them practice at his middle school just behind the city's Marriott Hotel. Speaking to The Athletic a month after the NFL Draft, he recalled:

“Derek Carr was there, and I got an autograph from him, so that was pretty sweet.”

His first scholarship offer also came from Nevada, but the recruitment process exploded once he put up an impressive performance at the Nike SPARQ combine. Soon, five more schools emerged in his wishlist; but he chose Georgia because of the coaching continuity.

Three dominant seasons later, Brock Bowers would complete his journey, going to the Raiders 13th overall. He has since excelled as the top passing target on an otherwise poor team, catching 70 passes for 706 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games (nine started) so far.