Words cannot fully describe what Bobby Bowden did for the Florida State Football Program. He made a doormat into a powerhouse, and he didn't take the easy road either. Bobby may have became a national punchline in the last few years, but he has kept his passion for coaching college football.
Bobby grew up in Alabama. Like most boys there are,he was born with Crimson blood coursing through his veins. When Bobby was the coach at Samford he would attend Alabama practices, not just to learn from The Bear, but to recruit. Paul Bryant would give Bowden a list of players that couldn't play for Alabama.
"If you want them up there at your school, you let me know," Bryant told Bowden. "I'll call them in and suggest they go there.
Bowden had a strong few years at Samford before moving on to coach West Virginia. Bobby had some success at West Virginia, but his career changed forever when he has hired by Florida State in 1976. In only his second season FSU saw great success. They won 10 games and finished ranked 11th in the country. In 1987 Bowden started his streak of an unprecedented 15 straight top 5 finishes. That streak included 2 national championships and 12 conference championships.
All was great, until a few years ago. State began to struggle and every year seemed to be worse than the previous. Finally, the Noles struggled just to finish 6 and 6. It was finally the end for the great coach.
Bobby deserved to go out better than he has, but don't blame him for his desire to continue doing what he has done for over 40 years. Bobby should be remembered for his accomplishments and his tremendous character, not for a few bad seasons. His name deserves to be forever remembered with the other all time great coaches, like his idol Paul Bryant.
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