Tay Gowan went to bed on Tuesday night with a lot on his mind. 

The Covington football legend has already accomplished a great deal in his life. He’s played college football. He’s played in the NFL. He’s become a father.

But what kept the local legend tossing and turning on Tuesday night was pure excitement about his newest title: Author.

On Wednesday, Gowan released his debut book, “Tested But Chosen: The Playbook for Turning Pain into Purpose.” The 240-page autobiography provides a detailed playbook into his entire life’s journey.

“It’s basically about my trials and tribulations leading up to going into the NFL, having a single-parent mom, no father, being homeless,” Gowan said. “Just all of the odds stacked against someone and still willing to stay focused and make his dreams come true out of a small city like Covington.”

Gowan says that he believes his story can relate back to many others who may face obstacles throughout their lives.

“I feel like it relates to a lot of people in this world because we’re all tested and we’re all chosen for our battles and our own fight,” Gowan said.

Gowan always enjoyed writing, and continues to love the idea of learning. But the idea of becoming an author never crossed his mind growing up. 

It was recently, in which he sought an outlet in which he could channel his emotions. 

“I think for me, it was releasing anything I was holding on to; I was able to put it on the paper and just feel better about myself as a person cause I can no longer hold onto it,” Gowan said.

From his first writing session to completion of the book was a two-year endeavor. But Gowan said that time was necessary in order to encapsulate all of his thoughts accumulated over his 27 years on Earth.

Much of Gowan’s early life was far from the glitz and glamour of that of an NFL veteran. Gowan had to overcome mounds of adversity. He grew up primarily in a single-parent household, with his father out of the picture. Some of the hard times he and his family encountered were spent sleeping in homeless shelters or sleeping in cars.

Despite the hardships, a shining presence throughout Gowan’s life has been football. As a teenager, he was a standout at Newton High School, where both community members and college scouts quickly began to know his name.

Gowan committed to the University of Miami in Ohio in 2016, where he went on to spend his first two collegiate seasons. He then transferred to Butler Community College for the 2018 season, and then to the University of Central Florida in 2019.

After opting out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gowan decided to turn his sights to professional football. He was selected in the sixth round with the 233rd overall selection of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He has since gone on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and the Tennessee Titans.

In “Tested but Chosen,” Gowan highlights the many ups and downs of his NFL career. One of the more unique moments in his career was when he was traded to Philadelphia for All-Pro tight end Zach Ertz, which was considered a rare in-season trade involving a rookie.

“It [getting traded] was a transition for me, because I was just getting settled in, meeting my teammates and being a rookie,” Gowan said. “So getting traded, it was like you gotta adjust without any guidance. I think it’s more like trying to see what’s understood around me and getting adjusted. So it was kind of tough for me.”

While a lot of Gowan’s life has consisted of football, he also shares a number of his own personal anecdotes throughout the book as well.

“I got a chapter in my book called ‘Accountability’ where it’s not even about football, it’s about how I treated someone and how God made me pay for it and I had to go apologize to this person,” Gowan said. “I’m just preaching the power of God with that.”

Faith is another key component of “Tested But Chosen.” Gowan says that he hopes to share the power of God to others and how it has helped him traverse through life.

“That if you feel alone, like I felt in my life… that you can lean on one person, which is God,” Gowan said. “Through everything I’ve been there, I wouldn’t be here if I neglected Him.”

Gowan’s journey is one of inspiration and resilience. It’s the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. 

It’s also a story, however, that is still being written.

“This book is not about my journey being over, it’s about what it’s led up to now,” Gowan said. “It’s going to lead into another book, because I’m not done with football.”

Gowan’s next work will take place after he’s retired from football and onto other endeavors. 

But for now, Gowan is just feeling all of the emotions after completing what he calls one of the top moments in his life.

“I think it’s right there with going to the NFL,” Gowan said when ranking publishing his book among his greatest achievements. “Because it’s like growing up, you don’t hear people say they’re inspired to go write a book or be an author. I never imagined that I could write a book. 

“So, I just gotta thank God. Without the journey, all the struggles that I may complain about and all that, it allowed me to write this book. I’m just thankful for that.”

Tay Gowan’s book, “Tested But Chosen: The Playbook for Turning Pain into Purpose” is now available on Amazon Books.