U.Va. cornerback Ras-I Dowling has eyes on a higher prize

Ras-I Dowling arrived right on time. But in a reversal of the usual dynamic between star athletes and the public, the folks in little Fishersville, Va., kept him waiting.

It was a July afternoon, and Virginia's All-American candidate cornerback had come to Wilson Memorial High in Fishersville, about 30 minutes west of Charlottesville, to speak to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes' "Power Camp."

Dowling was last on the program, and didn't appear to mind in the least. He settled into the front row and watched a ceremony marking the final day of the week-long camp for elementary and middle-school-aged kids. Counselors performed skits and he laughed. A slide show of the week's highlights played on a screen and he doled out high fives. Campers belted out a favorite song - "Jesus, You're My Super Hero" - and he jumped up and sang along. Each camper was recognized individually with a certificate, and he clapped for every one of them.

Dowling had been expecting to speak to older kids - high school students. He didn't have any remarks prepared, but didn't need to, he said later.

"The best way to talk to a crowd is from the heart," said the senior from Chesapeake.

After the last certificate had been awarded, the final song sung, the last staff member recognized, Dowling bounded onto the stage and told the kids he got excited when he talked about the Lord. He'd become a man of God in January, he said. One of the captains and the highest-profile member of the Virginia team, he said he was going to lead his teammates by serving them.

He congratulated the kids for making the decision to come to the camp. Then, before he went to the cafeteria, where he signed autographs and chatted until the last person had left, he closed with some parting words.

"I love each and every one of you."

For a cornerback, Dowling comes across as a different breed.

Swagger comes standard for most modern corners, especially elite ones. It's their defense against the risk of humiliation they face on nearly every play. Get beat, as even the best inevitably will, and everyone in the stadium will see.

Dowling, though, "doesn't like the hype," said his father, Larry. He displays no bravado and seems to have zero interest in the trappings of stardom.

That was apparent about a week after his appearance at the FCA camp, when he sat in a hotel ballroom at the ACC's football media days in Greensboro, N.C, surrounded by reporters. Dowling accepts dealing with the media as part of his role as Virginia's best player, and while he responded patiently to questions, he was reluctant to engage in extracurricular banter.

He was far less animated than he'd been the week before - polite, but guarded. Many of his answers were rote and unrevealing. Some topics, though, brought out glimpses of the young man who lit up the room in Fishersville.

Asked about his decision to pass on the NFL draft and return for his senior year, Dowling said he wanted to be the first in his family to graduate from college. He's on schedule to finish in December, in 3-1/2 years, with a degree in sociology.

The money he'd left on the table wasn't important, Dowling continued. He had grown up happy and loved without riches, so he could easily wait another year.

"Money is not going to make you happy," he said. "Money just buys things. It's temporary. Love is forever."

What to make of a big-time, shut-down corner who talks about love? Who says no profanity should come out of the mouth of a righteous man? Who says talking trash never made a play and even in the heat of battle, you have to deny your human flesh and stay humble?

Just don't be misled. He'll take your head off, teammates say. He's as hard-nosed and competitive as the biggest loudmouth on the field.

"Within our circle, we know Ras-I is a very fiery, emotional guy," U.Va. quarterback Marc Verica said. "He does everything with such conviction, you can't help but respect and buy into it."

Dowling said serving his teammates means leading by example: going to class, working hard, doing the right things. It also can mean giving them an occasional boot in the behind, too.

"He has absolutely no reservations about getting in your face and telling you you're doing a bad job, or a good job," Verica said. "He'll let you know."

That's a change. Though he was the most talented player on the team, Dowling was so quiet at Deep Creek High that coach David Cox wondered if he was doing something wrong.

Dowling had always been taught never to act like he was better than anyone, said his father, a South Carolinian who settled in the area after retiring from the Navy. Dowling, 22, is the youngest of Larry and his wife Juliette's four children.

An avid boxing fan, Larry Dowling named his son for former fighter Livingstone Bramble, who changed his name to Ras-I. Larry liked the sound of it. Dowling's middle name is Luis, after former world lightweight champ Jose Luis Ramirez.

Dowling played defensive back, receiver and quarterback for the Hornets, but spent much of his career dealing with injuries. Far from an All-Tidewater pick, he was just second-team All-Southeastern District as a senior.

Still, Virginia and Virginia Tech recognized his athletic gifts and offered scholarships. It wasn't until a prep year at Hargrave Military Academy that Dowling really blossomed, however.

Dowling got on the field in his second game at U.Va, on special teams. He cracked the rotation in nickel and dime coverage packages soon after. Pressed into first-string duty when starter Mike Parker was hurt in the season's ninth game, against N.C. State, he tied a school record with five pass breakups. He had the chance to get his hands on so many balls because the Wolfpack picked on him incessantly. The rookie corner won some and lost some, getting beaten several times downfield, but also learning a simple but important lesson:

"You've got to compete every play," he said.

Every corner is a drum, he likes to say. The key is being the one that gets beat the least. A kettle, not a snare.

Dowling's won far more battles than he has lost since his debut. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, his blend of size, speed and ability to change directions make him a rare find at corner. Those tools, more than any eye-catching statistics, are projected to make him a first-round pick in the 2011 NFL draft.

"There are times he shuts down his side of the field," Verica said. "I hate playing against him in practice, but I'm really glad I have him on my team."

Dowling's progress off the field has been no less steady. He prepped at Hargrave because he needed to improve his SAT score to become eligible, but is now in position to graduate a semester early.

"The coaches have told me he's one of their model kids," Cox said. "He goes above and beyond taking advantage of the study halls and everything."

Dowling's also volunteered at a Charlottesville elementary school for three years. He has taken public speaking classes to overcome shyness.

In January, he had an experience he said changed his life. Dowling had been talking to his closest friend from home, a guy who was serving time in jail. His friend, whom he declined to name, told him he was proud of Dowling because he'd be going to the NFL.

That's the wrong reason, Dowling said. "You should be proud of me because I'm a man of God."

Dowling felt the power of God "just come over me," at that point, he said. He had been raised a churchgoer, and considered himself devout. But this was different, a personal revelation.

Faith, family and football are his pillars now. He and Trey Womack, his closest friend on the team, run a Christian leadership program on Thursday nights for other team members.

It's not team-wide. Faith, for many, is a personal matter and attendance is voluntary. But it's another way for Dowling to lead and serve.

He's being counted on to lead Virginia's defense. It's a task he's taken to heart.

"He's as proud a man as we could have as an ambassador to the community," defensive coordinator Jim Reid said. "This guy has no weaknesses."

Dowling was a one-man diplomatic corps in Fishersville. Among the dozens of folks who lined up for his autograph were a few wearing Virginia Tech shirts.

Dowling attempted no proselytizing in that sphere. He smiled and told one teenager that Tech is a good school, but Virginia is, too. He signed his name and number on the shirt and scrawled a large "UVA" with a flourish underneath.

"We're trying to earn some respect for U.Va. this year," he said later.

More than likely, he already had.

Ed Miller, (757) 446-2372, ed.miller@pilotonline.com