Bobby Bowden’s tenets of ‘faith, family and football’ were the theme of the legendary Florida State Seminoles coach’s Celebration of Life service.
Whether it was through faith, through family or through football – the three “F’s” – as former Florida State linebacker Derrick Brooks referred to them, Bobby Bowden touched the lives of countless people during his Hall of Fame career at FSU. The impressive gathering of former players and coaches who flocked to the Donald L. Tucker Center for Bowden’s “Celebration of Life” memorial at FSU on Saturday morning gave evidence of the importance of Bowden’s legacy. “I know him. He would be so happy right now, seeing all these former players, coaches here together,” said Rev. Dr. Bobby Butler, one of Bowden’s first great players at the school who presided over the ceremony, and is now the assistant pastor at New Destiny Christian Ministries in Norcross, Georgia. Over 300 of Bowden’s former players along with former assistant coaches like Mark Richt, Chuck Amato, Mickey Andrews and Jimbo Fisher were among the crowd of roughly 1,200 who came to pay their respects to the legendary FSU coach who passed away last Sunday at age 91 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. As they did when Bowden Lied in Repose on campus at the Moore Athletic Center and Lied in Honor at the state Capitol building on Friday, fans lined up over an hour before doors opened to attend the ceremony, mostly clad in garnet and gold jerseys and T-shirts. Bowden tribute: Crowds pay tribute to FSU coach Bobby Bowden as he lies in repose Bowden memorial: Crowds go the extra mile to say goodbye to legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden More Bowden: Early to bed, early to rise. Morning calls with Coach Bowden and Ann were special| Jim Henry Andrews, who served as the Seminoles’ defensive coordinator from 1984-2001 and coached with Bowden until he retired in 2009, asked how many people in attendance coached for Bowden. A few stood. But when he asked how many played for Bowden, nearly everyone seated in the section of floor seats, which stretched across the area where FSU typically plays its basketball games, stood up. “He didn’t have his biggest wins on Saturday. They weren’t in 1993 or 1999. It was on Sunday morning, when he walked in and said, ‘Jesus, great job, buddy!” Andrews said barely holding back tears.
