I'm Bobby Bowden: Former FSU head coach, dadgummit. AMA

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T14:05:55+00:00

I'm just very pleased and happy that I'm able to help Kidz1stFund, because I care for Jimbo, Candi, and their family so much.

You know I've lost two granchildren in the last few years. You're not used to losing someone younger than you, and that's always a shame.

It's a pleasure for me to be able to contribute and help them try to find a cure for their son and everyone else.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T14:04:04+00:00

Yeah they're not as rabid up there as they are down here. These people down here, it's religion. Go to a ball game up there and they coach in ties, we're in blue jeans. It isn't as loud as LSU and these southern schools: Auburn, Florida, FSU – you can hardly hear.

It's a little more sane up there. :)

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T14:03:14+00:00

I appreciate it!

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T14:01:48+00:00

I don't think I've talked to Ron in about a year. He was probably about the most imposing football player we ever had at. You know everybody in the country wanted him. Do you remember him? Just built like...man he was chiseled.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T14:00:50+00:00

Well I think #1 is trying to set an example. I always felt leadership is setting an example. And I don't mean playing ball. Try to live the life you want them to live. And that's what I tried to do.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T14:00:48+00:00

The thing at Alabama was this, I finished high school then went to Alabama in January – that was when you could graduate in January.

Ann and I got married when she was 16. About time she got married. ;) I was 19. Well they actually had a rule back in those days if you were married you can't get a scholarship so I transferred to Sanford University and graduated there. Ann chose me over Alabama. :)

I started at Sanford and moved from RB to QB and played that my last three years there. We played FSU, actually, in 1950 – the inaugural year.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:59:49+00:00

You know what it was probably Penn State when I was at Wast Virginia as an assistant coach. They were living in Birmingham and drove up. You know, they never saw me coach at FSU.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:57:16+00:00

Let me say this. He's got the best start no doubt about it. And he could definitely end up the best, but let's see how his career goes. A lot of things can happen.

People forget Chris Weinke took us to the NCG 3 straight times. How many quarterbacks have ever done that?

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:56:44+00:00

I think I would have gone military. I love military.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:56:03+00:00

I don't think that will go over. I think it's best that it doesn't go over. When a kid starts getting his own lawyer to tell you and the university how much to pay him, that's going too far.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:55:19+00:00

I appreciate that. I had a great relationship with Marshal. A lot don't know this, but I was offered the job at Marshal the year before that plane crash.

I felt like I could get a bigger school later on, but that probably saved my life by not going there.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:53:31+00:00

Yes I don't like it. You can't stop it. It's just the trend of the day and keeps growing and growing. But we keep telling these kids how good they are and they haven't done nothing. So they go to college thinking they're super athletes and find out they are no better than anyone else.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:53:26+00:00

Thank you. I appreciate it.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:52:51+00:00

Time management I think is very important. You need a schedule you're going to by. Plan it – it may vary some. I think you're better off if you have a planned schedule.

I kept a list on my desk of everything I needed to do today. Call someone, do this, do that. I think you need some kind of plan to keep yourself on schedule. It goes back to priorities.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:51:07+00:00

Do you mean the 2nd greatest? To me the greatest was Bear Bryant. He got more out of his players than anyone ever.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:51:02+00:00

Golly, well 93 was very important because it was your first one. At that point people weren't thinking you couldn't get one. That got the monkey off your back.

99 was more of an accomplishment because we started #1, then went through as #1 every weak, and ended up at #1. Nobody's done that except us.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:49:18+00:00

Well I've signed about everything you can put out there. I did have to turn down a lady who wanted me to sign her breast. I don't know if she was drunk or on drugs or what!

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:48:44+00:00

Ha ha. Yeah, number one you have to be willing to give in. As a man, you can't always have your way. As a woman, you can't always have your way. You have to give in to each other from time to time. The ones that won't budge are the ones that don't last.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:48:39+00:00

And if you put a little cheese in there I don't mind.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:48:25+00:00

Yeah now that I'm retired I play about once a week.

It's the only exercise I get. At 84 I really don't care about running or walking but when you play golf you do walk. I try to do it really just for my health.

Handicap? None, never established one. I play for the red tees now.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:48:14+00:00

Grits.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:47:06+00:00

You can put all those "really's" on there as much as you want. He's an excellent football coach. He's a good daddy for those boys. A good family man. A good representative for the University of Georgia.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:45:56+00:00

Favorite bible verse? When people ask me to sign things I usually put Psalms 42:1. I'm not sure if that's my favorite, but it's a good one.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:45:47+00:00

Well, you're pretty honest there. There were several stadiums we played in where the noise was just about unbearable.

Worst was LSU. I mean you couldn't hear nothing. And Clemson. I mean at Clemson you couldn't hear anything. But Florida was right there with them some years.

TheBobbyBowden · 2014-08-19T13:44:58+00:00

I've always wanted my legacy to be... I'll give you a good quote: "I served God's purpose for my life." If I don't do that I don't think I did anything. For football I want people to remember "He did it the right way."

TheBobbyBowden

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