He attended Indiana University and starred as a halfback for two years, interrupted by service in the Army Air Force during World War II.

Cowan grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana and was a star athlete at the city's North Side High School.

[1] The team went unbeaten in his senior year, and Cowan broke a state high school scoring record with 155 points playing as a right halfback.

[1] Cowan also played basketball at Indiana, and was spotted during a state tournament in 1941 by Blanton Collier, who went on to become an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).

[1] Cowan joined the Army Air Force in 1943 and served in World War II as part of the ground crew at various military bases and at Okinawa.

[1] Cowan won a spot on the roster alongside fellow Fort Wayne native and Indiana graduate Bill Boedeker.

[1] The Browns finished the season with a 12–1–1 record and won the AAFC championship game against the New York Yankees.