John “Jumbo” Bowers played freshman football at Villanova University, scoring seven touchdowns as the team’s leading running back. While representing Frederick’s semi-pro team, he scored four touchdowns a game on five occasions. He was a “60-Minute Man,” never missing a game in 10 years and helping build a 49–10 team record. Bowers was also a starting member of the famed Shipley’s Celtics basketball team that won 113 and lost only 14 games during the 1930s.