INDIANAPOLIS -- When running back Seth McGowan went from prized University of Oklahoma recruit to restaurant dishwasher, he was about as far removed from major college football as one could imagine.
For two years, he unsuccessfully found a way back to college football's highest level. More specifically, he contended with two years of odd jobs, grueling workouts with no immediate payoff and a series of closed doors.
And McGowan had no one to blame but himself.
McGowan was dismissed from Oklahoma and later charged with multiple felonies in connection with a 2021 armed robbery and assault in Norman, Oklahoma. Former teammate Trejan Bridges was accused of using a handgun in the commission of the crime and was also dismissed from the team and charged.
Both faced felony charges of robbery, conspiracy and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, according to court documents. McGowan pleaded guilty to larceny, and the other charges were dismissed. He spent three months in jail and was later sentenced to a year of probation.
"It cost me everything," he said.
Now, he has another chance.
The Indianapolis Colts selected McGowan in the seventh round of April's draft, marking the next step in his story after his strong season at Kentucky in 2025. There is a chance for real playing time behind star back Jonathan Taylor, whose workload the Colts would love to reduce.
"Seth made an unfortunate decision early on in his career," Colts scout Tyler Hughes said. "He learned from it. And this kid was out of football for two years, and his love for the game never swayed.
"This kid fought to be where he's at today."
The armed robbery occurred in April 2021, not long after McGowan made his Oklahoma debut as a freshman in the fall of 2020.
After missing two years of football, a future in the sport seemed unlikely. But back home in Mesquite, Texas, with dim prospects for his next stop, McGowan got back to work. He trained relentlessly with family friend and noted trainer Daymond Patterson, who has worked with Seattle Seahawks star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
McGowan also worked various jobs to make ends meet, such as dishwashing and another gig at a local church. It was not the future McGowan had envisioned. But playing opportunities were not materializing because schools were scared off by his arrest.
"He was trying to keep his head on straight," said Patterson, who has known McGowan since McGowan was in middle school. "It's like, either work out and do what I'm still passionate about and what I love or do something dumb.
"There's a lot of easier things to go do to get some money that he decided not to do."
All the while, McGowan had to keep training to be ready if and when an opportunity arrived. He constantly fielded the same question: What's the point?
"People would ask, 'Why are you working out, bro?'" Patterson said. "They were like, 'That dream is over.'"
Still, McGowan pushed on. But when would the payoff come?
It wasn't until 2023 that McGowan got a breakthrough opportunity at Butler Community College in Kansas, a junior college with a long history of sending players to Division I schools. He rushed for just 125 yards in six appearances, but it represented a shift after so long away from the game.
In 2024, New Mexico State gave McGowan his first shot to return to Division I. He went on to rush for a career-high 823 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per rush. In 2025, he transferred to Kentucky and established himself as one of the more physical rushers in the SEC. He ran for 12 touchdowns, one of just four players in the conference to do so.
On Saturday, McGowan was in a familiar predicament: waiting. It was hardly shocking that McGowan had to wait until the seventh round due to his arrest. After a six-year journey that took him around the country, it was worth it.
"That's understandable," McGowan said of his draft position. "I'm not a person that's going to hold a grudge or sit and pout about it. I'm a 'what's next' kind of guy, so I'm going to show up. I'm just ready to show up and work."
The Colts say they vetted McGowan meticulously, tapping into personal relationships with some of his former coaches. Colts general manager Chris Ballard has a longtime friendship with New Mexico State coach Tony Sanchez. McGowan was also once recruited by Colts running backs coach DeAndre Smith during Smith's tenure at Texas Tech, so the two have history.
Ballard suggested it's time to turn the page regarding McGowan.
"How long are you going to keep punishing him?" Ballard said.
Said McGowan: "Ever since that day, I've done everything that I can, with every fiber in my body, [to show] that's not who I am."
McGowan has an opportunity to have an impact if he makes the Colts' roster. Indianapolis would love to throttle back on Taylor's usage in 2026 after his NFL-high 323 carries last season.
McGowan finally has the second chance he wasn't sure would come. And he doesn't plan on wasting it.
"The best thing is he's atoned for it, and he's continuing to grow," Patterson said. "He's not shying away from it. He's not blaming anybody for it. He takes accountability.
"And now he's gotten that second chance, and it's been lightning in the bottle. A lot of people didn't think he would ever make it to the NFL. A lot of people thought he would never play another down of football."
