| NEWS Florida State announced the passing of legendary head coach Bobby Bowden. He was 91 years old.

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Really hate to see this... I'll never forget when I was about 8, he did a Sunday sermon at the church my family attended. The line afterwards to meet him was LONG.

https://footballscoop.com/news/bobby-bowden-diagnosed-terminal-medical-condition

 

[BamaFan334]

Really hate to see this... I'll never forget when I was about 8, he did a Sunday sermon at the church my family attended. The line afterwards to meet him was LONG.

https://footballscoop.com/news/bobby-bowden-diagnosed-terminal-medical-condition

I grew up a HUGE Florida State fan. Starter jacket, my man Warrick Dunn, loved Bobby Bowden. We were the Seminoles in Middle School and High School. I was down in Panama City, and they owned a condo in the high rise next to my grandmomma's. I was running over there, cause at 12 years old you run around acting like you own the place, and I ran into him and Tommy on a swing by the beach. I sat down between them and just had a nice conversation about football and life. I ran to get my PE gym shorts and had him sign them. He was a very nice guy and they both just let me sit there with them and didn't act like I was bothering them at all. Very nice folks.

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

I was really hoping that Bama was going to select Coach Bowden when Ray left for Tampa. That was a total screwup by the UofA folks.

 

[AFF]

Dadgummit.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Had kicker woes like Bama HCs

 

[sk33tr]

He was a good coach and a greater human being. I hate to see/hear this.

But time comes for all of us. It's just a matter of when and how.

 

[Tidestalker]

I grew up a HUGE Florida State fan. Starter jacket, my man Warrick Dunn, loved Bobby Bowden. We were the Seminoles in Middle School and High School. I was down in Panama City, and they owned a condo in the high rise next to my grandmomma's. I was running over there, cause at 12 years old you run around acting like you own the place, and I ran into him and Tommy on a swing by the beach. I sat down between them and just had a nice conversation about football and life. I ran to get my PE gym shorts and had him sign them. He was a very nice guy and they both just let me sit there with them and didn't act like I was bothering them at all. Very nice folks.

Maaaaan, me too! My older brother was a huge Miami fan growing up, so I would side with FSU to irritate him. That was a great rivalry back in the day, and Bobby Bowden was a icon in so many ways. Loved his swagger... He was way ahead of his time!

Sad to hear about his sickness and I hope his suffering isn't extended. 91 is a great run, he will leave an amazing legacy and many records. Great Coach & very neat person. Your story with him is so cool... What a guy!

 

[UAgrad93]

I took an unofficial visit to Samford when Terry Bowden was the HC and Coach Bowden was there on the sideline since the Noles were off that weekend. According to NCAA rules, he wasn’t supposed to talk to any of us, but I mentioned an uncle of mine that was a regular golfing partner and it was screw the NCAA!! He later offered me a chance to come walk on my first year and he’d give me a scholarship after that. Getting around that “out of state” tuition was the sticking point. I hate to hear it about Coach, but he sure has lived a full life. I pray to the Man upstairs that I can be afforded a life that long.

 

[rammerjammer]

Growing up in Dothan, I was always followed FSU closely. Bowden being a Bama Boy, made it real easy to pull for him.

Around 91, a friend of mine (HUGE FSU fan), developed non-hodgkins lymphoma and eventually succumb to it. I remember a Sunday afternoon before he was to leave to go to B'ham for a bone marrow transplant, the phone rings. It was Bobby Bowden. Talked with my friend for a little while and told him that he was praying for him. Sent him a home/away jersey autographed as well a couple of hats and a book on the history of FSU football. Everyone that came to his room to see him, had to look at the hat Coach Bowden sent to him. CBB is a class act.

 

[rick4bama]

Prayers for him! He was one of the great one to walk the sideline!

 

[bamafan4ever]

I met Coach Bowden once at the Atlanta Airport. Just like so many other accounts of the man, he was just standing and waiting on someone and I walked over to him and you would have thought we were just the best of friends. He greeted me with a warm "how are you doing?" and "where you heading to today?". I got onto the subject of being from Birmingham, etc. and he was just as cordial as someone in his position could be. The genuine article. His demeanor on TV was not a put on. He is really just a nice guy.

 

[PurlJam]

I grew up a HUGE Florida State fan. Starter jacket, my man Warrick Dunn, loved Bobby Bowden. We were the Seminoles in Middle School and High School. I was down in Panama City, and they owned a condo in the high rise next to my grandmomma's. I was running over there, cause at 12 years old you run around acting like you own the place, and I ran into him and Tommy on a swing by the beach. I sat down between them and just had a nice conversation about football and life. I ran to get my PE gym shorts and had him sign them. He was a very nice guy and they both just let me sit there with them and didn't act like I was bothering them at all. Very nice folks.

Warrick Dunn ?! ... ha... youngster... try Fred Biletnikoff or as far back as Burt Reynolds.
I always pulled for Coach Bowden, being an Alabama native. Kinda wish we had hired him after Coach Bryant.

 

[64Tide]

Coach Bowden after Coach Bryant, Perkins, or Curry would have ushered in the next phase of UA dominance. Doubt very seriously "Pine Box" Tubberville would have the opportunity to hold up 6 fingers. Somehow the PTB in Ttown didn't want Bowden?

 

[TerryP]

Now we know their party line.

 

[OldPlayer]

Now we know their party line.

That must be their rally cry for 2021

 

[rammerjammer]

Somehow the PTB in Ttown didn't want Bowden?

In an interview I heard from Bowden. He said Bama reached out to him. He told them, I will take the job, but I'm not going to interview for it. What I have built at FSU is resume enough and should stand on it's own merits. If you want me, I want to come. He flew to T-town, for what he thought was a formal meeting of all the brass/etc. ended up being a panel interview with dumb ass questions, like: Are you willing to play a black QB?

Pissed him off to no end. Said he finished the interview, flew home and went straight to the phone and called them and told them they could keep the job...........hence we get Bill Curry.

According to Terry Bowden: He and Tommy and Jeff were with their mother at the Galleria at Bama Fever in B'ham buying all kind of Bama gear while Bobby was down in T-town "interviewing".

It would have been a very interesting run, for sure. One thing Terry pointed out during that interview was the fact that during Steve Spurrier's decade of dominance over the SEC in the 90's. Bobby Bowden went .500 against the Ol Ball Coach. Nobody had a better record against Spurrier, and certainly not in the SEC.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

And he just seemed a fit for bama...
Bill curry....not so much

 

[SoCalPatrick]

I've seen where Terry has said it's pancreatic and it won't be too long: he's in that "let's make him as comfortable as possible" stage.

 

[alabama mike]

My thoughts and prayers for a wonderful football coach but a better human being. May God provide grace and comfort to Coach Bowden and his family during this difficult time.

 

[OldPlayer]

Whenever I hear of someone diagnosed with a terminal illness, I wonder which is better - having the time to get things in order and saying goodbye or not knowing what hit you and passing quickly. I've had friends who have left this world both ways. Some have "slowly" declined but didn't know when the end would come and some had "widow maker" heart attacks and were gone within minutes (if not seconds).