Why Oklahoma State football QB Alan Bowman's mustache is more than fun facial hair choice
Scott WrightThe Oklahoman
STILLWATER — During a family trip to San Diego just after Christmas in 2017, Alan Bowman sat in Qualcomm Stadium watching Michigan State defeat Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.
Bowman saw Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski make his first career start, in which he completed 39 of 50 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns in the 42-17 loss.
Hilinski showed promise, and was expected to be the Cougars’ starter in 2018.
But 19 days after the Holiday Bowl, Hilinski took his own life. An autopsy later revealed he was suffering from Stage I chronic traumatic encephalopathy, more commonly known as CTE.
Bowman, now a seventh-year senior starting quarterback at Oklahoma State, was a high school senior at the time. He had no real connection to the Washington State quarterback, but the tragic turn in Hilinski’s life stuck with Bowman.
Earlier this month, Bowman arrived in Las Vegas for Big 12 Media Days with a new look — a mustache with the early workings of handlebars on each side.
It was a fun topic of conversation, even though the new look had mixed reviews from his family. In particular, his mother, Nancy, prefers her son’s clean-shaven look.
But no one disagrees with his motivation. The goal is to use his name, image and mustachioed likeness for a charitable cause.
“The idea is that we can partner with some organizations through NIL deals, where, like, every touchdown thrown will be $10 for mental health in Oklahoma or a leukemia awareness fund,” Bowman said.
Bowman worked with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health last year, motivated by not only what he witnessed with Hilinski in 2018, but what he has seen during his entire football career. And he knows people who have been significantly impacted by leukemia as well, so those causes weigh heavily on him.
The mustache was initially just a quirky idea, with his orange hair and resemblance to Pistol Pete.
“But then it was like, 'Hey, we could do something good with this,'” Bowman said. “It all lined up.”
Perhaps he’s been influenced by his parents, who both work in the healthcare industry, or maybe it’s just his nature, but Bowman’s latest idea is nothing new in the eyes of his family.
“His personality is he’s a very giving and caring person,” said his father, Kirk. “He sees things out there, particularly with mental health. People he has known have been directly affected by that.
“I think he just has a hankering to help people with mental health. And he has known people who have been affected with leukemia. But with NIL, players have the opportunity to help people, and Alan has a desire to do that.”
Bowman isn’t simply rushing to the market to sign as many NIL agreements as possible. He and his family, with the help of a marketing organization, are working diligently to align with opportunities that can bring funding and attention to two causes Bowman cares deeply about.
“He has a platform to bring awareness to these issues,” his father said. “It’s a way to give back, and maybe fans will see it as an opportunity to support causes he’s bringing attention to. There’s a lot of OSU fans who probably feel the same way he does about these issues.
“He hopes he can bring awareness, and maybe inspire others to support those causes as well.”
