Ladies and Gentlemen –
This past week, we lost a legend of college football, a giant of the game.
By now I am sure that you have heard or read that former Florida State Head Football Coach Bobby Bowden passed away at the age of 91 years old.
It certainly no secret that in his time as head coach of the Seminoles, I picked and made fun whenever I could of his program and on an occasion of Coach Bowden himself.
But I was never mean spirited in my comments and although not a fan of the program, I was always a fan of “The Man”.
I do need to admit and should confess, that on more than a few occasions I have pulled heartedly for both him and the Seminoles. It’s true.
Whenever they played Notre Dame, I was doing the Seminole Chop and yelling with the garnet and gold.
But to be fair, I would rather vote for a Democrat than pull for Notre Dame, ever.
Whenever they played the Miami Hurricanes….
(Please see the description of Notre Dame above)
I yelled at Coach Bowden and prayed for the Seminoles through the television screen in the 1998 National Championship game when they played Tennessee.
In all fairness I would pull for the damn Taliban before I would ever (ever) cheer for Tennessee.
When Coach Bowden and the Mighty Seminoles beat the brakes off the Michigan Wolverines in 1991, I was yelling and screaming right along with the rest of you fans.
There is no point regurgitating here, his amazing coaching record or recounting the great games he coached or the amazing players he recruited, mentored, or prepared for the NFL and life.
You can read those statistics anywhere this week in any newspaper across the country.
I want to say a few words about what a good man he was, and a life well lived.
The fact is, he was both a good man and lived a good life.
After a plane crash devastated the Marshall Thundering Herd in November 1970, who helped them get back on their feet as a football team?
Instate Rival West Virginia University Head Football Coach Bobby Bowden.
Coach Bowden did a lot of things for a lot of people throughout his life, too many to recount here, although the short video clip I have for you below will describe a very important one.
But I will tell you that despite his success at West Virginia and certainly at Florida State, he was and is an “Alabama” guy and he is going “home” there this week to Birmingham.
God Bless you Coach and thank you for the memories.
There won’t be anyone like you pass this way again.
RTR
THE CFB WIZARD