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Florida State releases tribute video to Bobby Bowden

by: Austin Brezina08/09/21AustinBrezina59
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Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Florida State released a tribute video dedicated to legendary Seminoles football coach Bobby Bowden who passed away on Sunday. Their video tribute showcases the spirit and humor that Bowden carried in his time as Florida State’s head coach, as well as some of the greatest moments in his coaching career. Their message simply states, “Thank you, Coach Bowden.”

Florida State’s tribute video

The video opens with an explanation of how Bowden came to coach at Florida State, a program that had won only four games in the three years prior to his arrival.

“He went down to Tallahasse, where at Florida State University he took over the head coaching job at a program that had indeed fallen on hard times,” the tribute states.

Florida State’s tribute goes on to show clips from Bowden’s career, highlighting his humor and fiery speeches. Alongside the video’s celebration of Bowden are scenes from his visit to the White House after winning the national championship in 1993. Showcasing iconic moments on the field for Florida State fans, the tribute even shows some of the great players who played under Bowden like Deion Sanders.

Video footage of the unveiling of Bobby Bowden’s statue that resides at Doak Campbell Stadium pairs with audio in a way that’s sure to make any college football fan proud, Seminoles or not.

Bobby Bowden’s career

As Jamie Oaks of On3 Sports wrote about Bowden’s passing, Bowden inherited a Florida State program going through struggles.

Bobby Bowden amassed a 315-98-4 record during his 34-year tenure in Tallahassee. When he took over at Florida State, the team had gone 4-29 in its previous three seasons. By his second year, they won 10 games. Over the next 14 years leading up to FSU’s ACC debut, they won at least nine games nine times.

Not only did he turn the Seminoles into a competitive program, he twice reached the pinnacle of college football, winning national titles in 1993 and 1999. Bobby Bowden was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006 before retiring in 2009.

When asked about how he would like to be remembered, Bowden shared his answer with Mike Freeman who wrote his biography. Freeman wrote BOWDEN – How Bobby Bowden Forged a College Football Dynasty, and conveyed his message.

“A lot of people in the past have asked me what about my legacy,” Bowden shared with Freeman.  “I’ve said this and that and I don’t like talking about it all that much, but I answer the question the best I can.  I want people to say, ‘He was one of the best.’ Not the best.  Just one of the best.  I want people to say I didn’t cheat.  We made some mistakes here, but I never had a win-at-all-costs mentality.  We had that dadgum Free Shoes University thing, but we didn’t know what the players were doing and anyone who says we did isn’t telling the truth.  I would’ve rather lost than be seen as a guy who won and cheated.  I guess I want my legacy to be we won and we mostly won the right way, and along the way, people had fun, and I treated people with respect and decency.  I was something Florida State could be proud of.  They’d say, ‘That dadgum Bowden was a good guy.’  That’s how I hope I’ll be remembered.”

Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images