Following the 11-exercise competition at Holuba Hall, the 6-foot-1, 230-pounder reflected on what he has learned from his brushes with the law and being in head coach Joe Paterno's doghouse.
"It's about growing up and realizing what's right and what's wrong," he said. "Sure, the things that happened off the field make me look at things a little closer and make more right choices. A mistake is a mistake, and I own up to what I did. I haven't run from it.
"It opened my eyes a lot. I do appreciate where I'm at and how special it is for me to be where I'm at now. I just plan on doing what I got to do from here on out."
Last season, Bowman notched a team-best 106 tackles, with 61 solo stops and 45 assists, and earned first team-team all-Big Ten Conference honors while helping lead the Nittany Lions to an 11-2 record and a Rose Bowl appearance.
The 21-year-old from District Heights, Md., did not play in the team's Blue-White scrimmage three months ago. Paterno has yet to make an official statement about a possible punishment or suspension for a player projected to one day play in the NFL.
In April, the 82-year-old coach said, "I don't want to overact. He's been a pretty good kid. On the other hand, he's got to solve his problem."
Bowman's struggles may have something to do with recent personal issues. In June 2008, his father, Hillard, died unexpectedly from a blood clot. In December, Nick Lynch, his coach at Suitland High and a mentor, died in a two-car collision.
"Navorro is a great kid, a hard-working guy, he's always pushing us," said fellow linebacker and senior team leader Sean Lee, who missed last season with a knee injury. "He understands what his priorities are now. I think everybody on the team respects him very much."
