“We put a positive spin on it and now he wears autism like a Superman cape,” is what Taneka Bowles, the wife of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, Todd Bowls had to say about their son, Tyson. This one sentence is enough to say that Todd Bowls has seen his fair share of ups and downs and has lived quite an eventful life.

Not only did he marry twice, but he also had three boys Todd Jr., Troy, and Tyson. He was married to Jill Jenkins from 2000-2008, but that didn’t work out. However, he had two boys with Jenkins, Todd Jr. and Troy, who are making a name for themselves and will hopefully transition to the big leagues soon enough. On that note, let’s find out more about the boys.

Who are Todd Bowles’ children?

Unfortunately, we don’t know about Todd Jr. and Tyson’s upbringing. However, we do know that Todd Jr. is the firstborn son followed by Tyson. Though their parents split up in 2008, the Bucs coach has been an omnipresent father in their lives since. Things became hectic for the boys when their mother, Jill Jenkins, passed away in 2017. However, that didn’t deter the boys from following in their father’s footsteps and pursuing football as a career.

News broke out in 2022 that Troy Bowls committed to the Georgia Bulldogs and started playing as a linebacker in the 2023 season. He’s only played 3 games with the Bulldogs and perhaps, the most interesting one was on New Year’s Eve last year when the Bulldogs beat FSU 63-3. He recorded a single tackle in that game. However, his elder brother is doing way better at Long Island University.

His 2024 stats show that he’s made 20 total tackles and defended 3 passes, however, that’s including his stats during his time at Rutgers. What’s amazing about the brothers is that they both wear #0 on their jerseys. There’s no doubt they have a bright future ahead of them and there’s plenty of advice that their father, the former NFLer can give them.

Let’s shift our focus to Tyson, Todd Bowles’ child with his current wife, Taneka.

Todd Bowles and his wife’s struggle that turned out to be beautiful

Tyson was born in 2011 and two years later, his parents realized that he would not respond to external stimuli. He’d not make eye contact or talk, which led the parents to believe that they needed to visit an audiologist. But the diagnosis of Tyson’s ear revealed nothing alarming. That led the family to consult a neurologist, who diagnosed Tyson with autism.

“Tyson had the blessing of oblivion,” Taneka recalled. “He did not understand what I was being told but I understood that there was a lot of weight with this. This was something that was going to be a part of and if not, reshape all of our lives. So, at that moment, I am just going to be honest, I was depressed.”

Todd Bowles faced more adversity when Philly fired him as interim DC in 2012, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The family moved to Arizona, which was the best thing that happened to them, per Taneka. They moved around some more until they settled in New Jersey for a while. Jersey, a home for autism R&D turned a new page in Tyson and his parents’ life.

After a lot of effort, Tyson was able to verbalize his thoughts and guess what his first words were. It was not mom or dad. He spoke animal names as his first words. He associated those animals with their qualities. For instance, the birds with trees, the Giraffe as tall, and the Elephant as big. That was a huge relief for the parents.

“From where he came to where he is at, you would never believe it,” Todd smiled. “He learns it differently, so you have to teach it differently. Tyson does not get the normal conversation borders, but he understands. He is the nicest kid in the world, and you just have to make sure that no one takes advantage of him. He can be too kind to a fault sometimes and it is just a process every day.”

This turned around for Todd Bowles after a couple of years when he won a Super Bowl with Tom Brady. Instead of concluding this article, we’d present you with words from Todd and Taneka Bowles for those struggling parents with children affected by autism.

Todd: “This does not mean that your child is strange. Stay with him because your child is going to get to know you and you are going to get to know them. They are going to be normal. Stick with them and do not give up on them. They will be fine as long as you love them and show them that love.”

Taneka: “It is not your fault. There is no cause. There’s no cure. There is just love and treatment. Focus on that and it will get easier. Do not believe everything you hear when you go to the doctor. What you put into your child’s life is what is going to come out. Put 10,000 percent of yourself into them. This is not a burden; it is a blessing. This is going to change you for the better.”