Servant leadership is a phrase with roots in the Christian faith. While servant leadership doesn’t have an actual definition, the concept is one where the leader develops a set of behaviors and practices that emphasize the well-being of those being served.

In simple words, a servant leader will place others before themselves. It’s a great concept but is much easier said than put into practice. For Tommy Bowden, servant leadership is a theme instilled and nourished throughout his life.

“Something my dad always taught me is that you have to be willing to do the stuff that you're asking people to do and be willing to do the dirty work,” Bowden said. “I came here, and servant leadership was a big motto for coach (Pete) Fredenburg and coach (Larry) Harmon, and it's something they both do well. They don’t ask people to do something that they wouldn't do. So, it started with my dad, and when I got here, it just continued to grow.”

Bowden’s servant leadership is a big reason he seamlessly moved from backup quarterback to starting safety, with his first start in the defensive backfield on the road against Wisconsin-Whitewater in the national semifinals. Mary Hardin-Baylor coach Larry Harmon convinced Pete Fredenburg to make the move before the two most important games in their season.

“Tom is one of the best athletes on our team. He was going in and finishing games at quarterback and holding extra points,” Harmon said. “The rest of the time, he was on the sidelines, so I got frustrated because what a talent he was not on the field all the time when I thought he was better than the guys we were playing.

“So I kept begging coach Fredenburg to move him, and finally, I nagged enough to where we at least gave it a try. He talked to Tommy, and the type of kid Tommy is, he wanted to help the team. All he ever says is whatever's best for the team, and he was pretty much a natural. He's smart, instinctive, an incredible athlete, and a coach's kid. He had a football in his hand probably about three minutes after he was born. So there's not much he can’t do on a football field.”

Bowden recalls his conversation with Fredenburg and admits he was anxious about the move.

“(Coach Fredenburg) called me into his office and asked me if I'd be comfortable giving safety a try. I said if that's what the team needs, I'll do it,” Bowden said. “I was a little nervous about (the move). I hadn't played defense since my freshman year of high school, so it was kind of new for me again. But God gave me a chance to get back on the field more instead of staying on the sidelines, so I was all in.”

Bowden made an immediate impact in the defensive backfield for the Crusaders, recording a pass breakup in the national semifinals and national title game last year. He continued to build off his early success during the offseason and was recently named a First Team All-American Southwest Conference defense member.

“He just keeps getting he keeps getting better with his eyes. That's probably the biggest deal for DBs. They're used to looking at the ball and seeing where the ball goes,” Harmon said. “He had to learn to control his eyes and become comfortable with formations and motions. He's not intimidated at the moment. It's never too big for him.”

“One reason he was a quarterback was because of his character and leadership ability, and you want that on defense, too, so that was another big attraction to me,” Harmon said. He leads by example and never asks anybody to do anything he won't do himself. Our guys respect him tremendously for the type of teammate he is - he cares about every one of these guys and would do anything for them. His parents have done a great job with servant leadership because he sacrifices a lot of his time to be here for his team.”

Bowden’s leadership played a role in a fourth quarter comeback for the Cru against Bethel. However, UMHB’s demanding schedule this year also played a significant role.

“We weren’t playing our best football (against Bethel), but nobody was in a panic, and nobody was complaining. I’m not sure how much pressure our kids feel anymore with the schedule we had early this year,” Harmon said. “We’re battle-tested, and we’ve passed all but one of those tests. We have 30 guys on our team that won a national championship last year, so even being down 11 with 14 minutes left, our guys had unbelievable faith in each other.”

The Cru has a reason to be confident heading into their national semifinal game at North Central College. They know their roster is as good as any team in Division III.

“When you get to this point in the season, everybody’s good and has good players. So, we’re going to face a challenge, but they’re going to face a challenge,” Bowden said. “We’re probably the most athletic secondary they’ve seen, so we’re going to be a problem for them too.”

Another advantage in UMHB’s favor is its ability to exemplify servant leadership. 

“Tom has taken this group over and has done a great job of encouraging and nipping people in the backside when they need it,” Harmon said.

Crusaders fans hope Bowden won’t need to be “nipping people in the backside” this week.