Cowne briefly made it to the National Football League (NFL) with the Washington Redskins. He was on the team's roster in 1987, playing weeks four to six as one of the replacement players hired during the 1987 players' strike. Due to the playoff success of the Redskins after rosters were restored, Cowne and other replacement players received bonus checks for their contributions towards the Redskins win.[2] Although a center, he was primarily a long snapper on special teams. Cowne was only the third Hokie to play for the Redskins when signed in 1987.[3] He had previously gone to training camp for the 1987 season with the San Diego Chargers, before being waived at the end of preseason.[4]
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