Tobias (Toby) Bowser was a four-year starter and one of the best initiators of offense in Slippery Rock men’s soccer history.
Soccer was a staple of the Bowser family. A native of Worthington, Pennsylvania, Toby followed in the footsteps of his brothers Chris and Sean by playing club soccer for the Northern Steel, which was coached by SRU head coach Matt Thompson.
Bowser elected to continue to play for Thompson on the collegiate level as he committed to Slippery Rock in 2007. Toby was an impact player from the second he set foot on campus. Over his four-year career, Bowser started 72 of his 80 games played and recorded 38 career points on four goals and 30 assists.
SRU achieved winning records in all four years of Bowser’s career with the highlights being two NCAA Tournament appearances, a PSAC title in 2009 that included a single-season program record 18 victories.
Bowser ranks second in program history in career assists, third in games played and fifth in games started. His 15 assists in 2008 are also tied for the most in a single-season in Slippery Rock’s storied history. Toby had his play recognized by earning all-region honors three times and being named an honorable mention All-American in 2008.
At the conclusion of his time at The Rock, Toby continued his soccer career at Kingston University in England. In addition to majoring in graphic design at Slippery Rock, Bowser also joined the Pennsylvania Air National Guard.
Toby volunteered for his first deployment to Bagram, Afghanistan in 2013. He was responsible for reuniting fallen heroes with their families. This life changing moment motivated Toby to pursue a career in aviation.
In 2018, Toby graduated from the United States Air Force Officer Training School at the top of his class earning him the Distinguished Graduate Award. After graduation he was sent to Columbus, Mississippi for Air Force Flight School. Upon graduation, Toby was given the Air Force Flight Training Award for being a top aviator in his class.
His second deployment came shortly after graduation and after his return home he started his civilian career with Republic Airways.
