BREAKING: Former UW linebacker post heartfelt message in viral post declaring for the job market’ to Huskies fans
This isn’t how Drew Fowler imagined making it to SportsCenter.
Like many kids, the former University of Washington (UW) linebacker dreamed of appearing on ESPN for an impressive play—or maybe even being on the wrong side of a historic moment. But Fowler never thought his retirement from football would generate so much attention.
On Jan. 8, Fowler was invited to ESPN to discuss the farewell post he shared on social media less than a week earlier, where he announced he was “declaring for the job market.” Then, on Jan. 17, he returned to SportsCenter for a mock interview with hosts Gary Striewski and Randy Scott.
“When they asked me back a second time,” Fowler said, “I almost wanted to remind them, ‘Guys, you know my post was about leaving sports, right?’”
Fowler, a Bellevue, Washington, native, wrapped up his college football career during UW’s narrow 35-34 loss to Louisville in the Sun Bowl. It marked the end of a roller-coaster six-year journey in college football, all spent at UW. He arrived as a walk-on in 2019, played 49 games, and experienced everything from a College Football Playoff run to a conference championship win over a rival, the challenges of pandemic football, and even a loss to an FCS team. Along the way, head coach Jedd Fisch put Fowler on scholarship early in his tenure at UW.
Despite scholarship offers from Utah and UCLA, Fowler had chosen to walk on at UW. As he prepared for the Sun Bowl, he began reflecting on his college football journey. He noticed that only players heading to the NFL or entering the transfer portal typically got to address their fans and teams.
Fowler, knowing the NFL wasn’t in his future, still wanted to thank Husky Nation and his coaches for making his time at UW so special. He wanted to do it with his own flair.
“I wanted to thank everyone and crack a little joke,” Fowler said. “I’ll admit it—I’m not going to the NFL. I need a job. I’m entering the real world. But I wanted to show my gratitude and keep it lighthearted. I figured Husky Nation would enjoy it. Turns out, the whole country did.”
He drafted the note during downtime at the Sun Bowl and finalized it on the flight back to Seattle. Spencer Klein, UW’s assistant director of graphic design, helped bring the post to life, even adding a LinkedIn-style “Open for Work” banner to Fowler’s official team headshot.
The post, which Fowler shared on Jan. 3, quickly went viral. It ended with:
“With that being said, I’m officially declaring for the job market. In other words, I need a job. If you or anyone you know has an employment opportunity, I’m your guy. Gritty, hardworking, sneaky athletic, locker room guy, will bring my lunch pail to work. My LinkedIn is updated, and I am #OpenToWork.
“Thank you, Husky Nation.”
As of Jan. 24, the post had over 52,000 likes on X and another 29,000 on Instagram. Fowler has also been overwhelmed by LinkedIn follow requests—around 3,000 at a time, including one from LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky.
“I was like, ‘Wow, this has really gone all the way to the top,’” Fowler joked.
He’s received job inquiries from a variety of organizations, including police departments in Florida, fire departments in Ohio, Seattle, and Houston, and a technical consulting firm in North Carolina.
Forever blessed to be a Dawg 4 Life 🐺💜 pic.twitter.com/uQkyhTVJF8
— Drew Fowler (@drewfowler44) January 3, 2025
With a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in communication leadership, Fowler is aiming for a corporate role, possibly in finance, venture capital, or organizational leadership. He feels his experience navigating four head coaches and three athletic directors at UW has prepared him well for helping companies structure their leadership teams.
For now, Fowler is transitioning to life after football. He’s moved back home to save on rent, is scheduled for “cleanup surgery” on Jan. 30, and is networking extensively with UW alumni and others who’ve reached out after his viral post.
Though he’s focused on launching his next chapter, Fowler hasn’t ruled out a return to football—possibly as a high school coach in the future, alongside some former UW teammates.
“I love the game,” he said, “and I want to give back to the people, places, and sport that have given me so much.”