Q&A: Senior guard Chris Fowler
Fowler talks Madden skills, dance moves and watching his brother win the Super Bowl
While his regular season career may be complete for Central Michigan, senior guard Chris Fowler has one more chance to leave his mark on the CMU men's basketball program.
Central Michigan Life Sports Editor Taylor DesOrmeau caught up with the Southfield native before the start of the 2016 Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Q: You seem to be good at a lot of things. What’s something you’re bad at?
A: I’m not good at everything. I’m not a good singer, even though I try hard. I really do try hard to sing, but I’m not good at it.
Q: What’s your favorite song to sing?
A: It depends on the day. It depends on the vibe of that day. I like gospel music, though, like really getting into that is kind of my favorite.
Q: What’s a class that’s your favorite and one that’s really hard for you?
A: My favorite class right now? Probably TAI 578 Dance for the Actor class. We do a lot of things in there that are interactive. I get to do some dance movements that I’ve never done, learn some things I’ve never done and also do some acting that I’ve done in the past, but with new people. It’s been a lot of fun. Professors have made that fun, as well.
Q: Have you been able to use any of those dance moves on the court?
A: Not necessarily the actual dance moves, but some of the balancing and things like that are beneficial.
Q: What are you planning on doing after graduation?
A: I’m hoping to pursue professional opportunities in basketball, whether that’s in the NBA or overseas. My goal is to make it to the NBA to play there, but I want to pursue professional opportunities in basketball.
Q: What’s the thing you’re going to miss most about CMU basketball?
A: Just the guys, the teammates, the early mornings and the late nights that I’ve spent with these guys. Early mornings doing runs, late nights on busses coming back from wins, coming back from losses and still finding a way to wake up in the morning and be a family. Workout with one another. The process, it’s special. That’s the part that’s the memorable part, growing up with these guys, becoming men with these guys. That’s the part I’ll remember most.
Q: Outside of basketball, what are you going to miss the most about CMU?
A: The same thing. The late nights maybe studying or going out with these guys, the early mornings going to breakfast. Talking in the locker room, hanging out, playing video games, talking trash about video games. We’ve done a lot of things together, and I’ll remember that most of all about CMU.
Q: What’s your go-to video game?
A: Madden. I’m the best Madden player on the basketball team and it’s not even close. I am the best Madden player on the basketball team.
Q: Who do you play as?
A: This year, I play with the Broncos a lot. Before, we’d do random teams. My record against John Simons (men's basketball senior forward) might be 182-0.
Simons: "Chris, I’m trying to shoot, (laughs).”
Fowler: Oh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.
Q: Do you ever play with your brother (wide receiver Bennie Fowler) on there and get his stats up?
A: When I play with the Broncos, he’s the first and second option. And then if he’s not open after I look at him twice, then I have to throw to somebody else. But he’s usually open, so I don’t have to worry about that.
Q: What’s it like having a brother with a Super Bowl title?
A: It’s good. It’s fun for me to see and it’s kind of weird to see. This is the guy, we used to stay in the same room, he used to walk me around by my neck when I was younger when we were both little babies.
This is a guy I’ve fought with. A guy I’ve seen grow up and he’s seen me grow up. To watch him at the highest level at the biggest stage be successful, is kind of surreal to me. I’m proud of him, I’m happy he got that opportunity and hope he continues to work for it again.
Q: It seems like you guys have competed your whole life for having the best accolades. You really can’t top that, can you?
A: We’ve never competed for having the best accolades, actually. We’ve competed in terms of who’s going to win one-on-one. Like, we’ll talk trash about me guarding him in football, but we’ve never competed about accolades. He has his and I have mine and they are both as important to one another. Me scoring one basket out here is just as important as him winning the Super Bowl ring.
When he won it, he thanked all of our family members. He said, ‘Man Chris, you won this one, too, as many hours as we put in together.’ So I feel like I won the Super Bowl, too. His accolades are my accolades and my accolades are his accolades.
Q: What is your most embarrassing moment on the basketball court?
A: Ooh. I got dunked on in high school. I got dunked on pretty bad. I ran back to take a charge my junior year of high school and I got dunked on bad. But it happens, you know?
Q: What’s it going to be like walking off the court your final time?
A: Probably the same way it was walking off the first time. It’s going to be fun because I think this group has done a great job of not taking a game for granted. Every time we walk off the court, we understand it might be our last. I’m going to walk off the court and I’m going to be as thankful to have stepped on it as I was the first time.
Q: Is it bittersweet to be almost done?
A: Yeah. But you always know the time is coming. I’m just excited to have one more opportunity.
