Bowden tour is a ‘credit’ to university

By Charlie Barnes, Executive Director - Seminole Boosters

As Florida State matures, and as growing alumni ranks enrich our University with deepening bench strength, we are able to look more and more to our own graduates and to our own institutions. Thus it was appropriate that the Florida State University Credit Union was the national sponsor of the Bobby Bowden Tour this spring.

This was the 30th Anniversary Booster Tour for Bobby Bowden, a meandering journey begun with scattershot visits to a dozen or so Seminole Booster Clubs early in 1976. That Tour was just a faint echo of the fast-moving celebrity caravan into which it has now evolved, and money from a national sponsor is necessary to help offset the considerable expense of travel and accommodations.

At one time the Tour was a sleepy ride in my Buick, just Coach and me and occasionally Ann Bowden tucked in the back seat between boxes of golf hats. In 2005 the Bobby Bowden / Seminole Boosters / Florida State Credit Union 30th Anniversary Tour is a cross between the Ringling Brothers Circus and the Rolling Stones road show.

The fans haven’t changed much. In fact, some haven’t changed at all. In Lake City the same couples who welcomed Bobby Bowden to FSU in 1976 still sit at the same tables in the same dining room and, with deference to Coach Bowden, still laugh at the same jokes. So many familiar faces still populate the enthusiastic crowds; there’s usually a good mix of young and older alumni. The golf tournaments post strong numbers, many of them hitting the maximum of 144 players. Since there’s not a great deal of duplication between the Seminoles who play golf during the day and the Seminoles who attend the banquets at night, a full day of events nearly doubles the exposure for FSU in each town.

We’ll cover the Tour in detail in the Booster publication, Report to Boosters, but here is a quick overview of some of the highlights from this year’s campaign. Coach Bowden’s remarks evolve over the course of the Tour, so we’re never quite sure how things are going to go on the first night. Bowden’s opening comments were uncharacteristically somber this year in Ft Pierce. He reflected back to a few days before the Miami game and the deaths of his son-in-law and grandchild.

“My daughter Ginger and John and their three sons were with Ann and me at our home in Tallahassee,” he said. “The hurricane winds were still beating up on Pensacola but young Bowden Madden had football practice and so he and his dad drove back to Ft Walton.” Their car had been pushed by winds into a van, and then careened across the median into the path of a big power line repair truck. They were killed instantly.

“I was sitting upstairs alone in my room,” his voice was soft. “I heard someone at the front door, and then I heard my daughter screaming. And she kept screaming.”

This has been a stressful year for our Head Football Coach. The deaths of loved ones, especially a child, controversy over the offense and the mysteries of our quarterback position would weigh heavily on any leader. Bowden is iron-hard and seldom shows any face other than what he wants the world to see. Although he got a little testy at a question or two this year, he never revealed any cracks in the crystal. Our Seminole fans want their leader to be strong even when he tells them he disagrees with their premise, and Bowden is stronger than most even imagine.

Bobby Bowden Banquets are a little like choir practice, and you know only the choir goes to choir practice. Questions from the audience are almost always good natured and intended for enlightenment. Once in awhile, say, if someone asked why the offense was so predictable, his body language shifted a little and you could tell he was ready to take on both the question and the questioner. But he’s never dismissed a question, and in fact he insists that any question from a Booster is fair game.

“I told T.K. [Wetherell] I’ve got a hard time apologizing for a nine win season,” he tells an audience. That’s the public face. In private, he’s more likely to show angst over what he considers opportunities lost. Bowden has a combative nature; he’s driven to win.

The golf tournaments and the banquets are all for fun, and for the entertainment of the Seminole faithful. There was plenty good humor to go around.

“Ernie Sims hits so hard we took his helmet away from him. We put a blue shirt on him and told him not to hit anyone. That didn’t work, so we took his hat away…” Bowden tells the delighted fans. “I asked [Coach Steele] Kevin, do you think you can teach Ernie how to tackle any better than that? Can you teach him to hit any harder? No? Then why don’t you get him out of there! He’s killing us; we won’t have any players left!”

In Ft Lauderdale, former FSU golfer Dustin Phillips played in a foursome with Coach Bowden and the Seminole Indians. Phillips was a Tour player for seven years and Bowden was eager for instruction. “I had his complete, unwavering attention,” Phillips said. “His concentration is so intense that it was actually a little unnerving at first, but he made me feel very comfortable.”

Bowden was asked to compare the two young quarterbacks. “Well, Lee has the potential of Charlie Ward, but where Cholly was six-foot and about 180, Lee is six-four and about 225, with the same speed. Weatherford is just as good. He’s like Casey [Weldon] but about twenty pounds bigger.”

For their banquet, the Jacksonville Club assembled twenty-five of their past thirty Club Presidents. In Lake City, Bowden shot an 87 and didn’t want to leave the course; he thought maybe his foursome should play an additional “emergency nine” holes since they were having so much fun.

In Panama City the tables were festooned with roses, and the centerpieces were rosebuds submerged in clear oil in glass candle holders. The 2005 national championship will be played in the Rose Bowl. A note on the back of Bowden’s place card at the head table said, “No pressure, Coach”

Bowden said he would’ve allowed Leon Washington to remain in the Bowl game had he known Leon needed just five years to break 200. “He’s a very popular guy and everyone likes him and we coaches get all excited too. On the way to the team bus I got up next to him and said, ‘Leon, can I carry your bags to the bus?’ He said no thanks Coach; T.K. [President Wetherell] already got ‘em!”

In Miami, Club leaders announced creation of “The ’77 Club” this year to honor the young Seminole enthusiasts who organized local FSU alumni there at the dawning of the Bowden era three decades ago. Those youngsters did all right for themselves and for their University. Judge Steve & Yvonne Brown are Miccos ($1 million donors), and active on University boards. Andy & Carole Haggard are also $1 million donors, and active on University boards. Andy is vice-chair of the Board of Trustees. Les & Martha Pantin have served on the Alumni Board, the Booster Board and the Foundation Board.

There are questions every night, in every town. Most of then follow the same themes.

   Question: “How soon can we get Spurrier’s South Carolina team on the schedule?”
   Answer: “Tommy’s got him covered.” [laughter]

   Question: “How is the bonding process going with you and Urban Meyer?”
   Answer: “It’ll go great as long as we win.” [laugher]

   Question: “Will we see any trick plays this year?”
   Answer: “Son, the way we execute, they’re ALL going to be trick plays this year.” [laughter]

   Question: “How do you feel about your field goal kicking this year?”
   Answer: “Shaky.” [laughter] “I’m still shell shocked over last year.”

St Petersburg Mayor and Seminole alumnus Rick Baker beamed like a proud papa as he presented the Key to the City to Coach Bowden. “When I was a freshman we were 0-11, and when I was a senior we were 10-2. Thank you!”

Daytona surely had the most spectacular backdrop for their luncheon, the pounding Atlantic surf and luxurious greens of Hammock Dunes. Linebacker and local favorite Buster Davis was a guest; it marked the first time I can remember anyone at the head table getting bigger applause than Bowden. President T.K. Wetherell and Bowden both spoke. Wetherell assured the crowd that he didn’t see any problem with beating Florida next year. “It’s in the bag.” Wetherell also talked about meeting Bowden for the first time forty years ago, “when he wasn’t a saint yet.”

Coach Bowden responded by pointing to the image of himself on the 30th Anniversary logo. “You ain’t got your picture on a shirt, T.K.…[laughter]…You ain’t even got a statue.”

Coach Bowden signing autographs on tour

Seminoles from the Brighton Reservation brought their babies and young children to the Orlando banquet to meet Coach Bowden. Most were dressed in traditional Seminole garments; it was interesting to see some of the youngsters in FSU Seminole regalia as well. Bowden set aside time to spend exclusively with the Tribe, taking photos and signing autographs.

Marvin Jones, Shade Tree, spoke to the crowd in Tampa. “When I was nine years old Bobby Bowden came to my house to recruit my older brother Fred, and I told him, Coach I’m going to play for you someday.” Jones got his degree in Psychology, and today directs the Marvin Jones Foundation.

Marvin Jones was true to his promise. He eventually played for Bobby Bowden, was twice named All-American, and then played eleven years of professional football.

“Let me give you an idea of the scope of Bobby Bowden’s impact on our University,” he said, leaning toward the audience. “This is his thirtieth annual Tour to reach out to us alumni and Boosters. I’m thirty-two years old. I suspect I’m like a lot of our fans; Bobby Bowden is all I’ve ever known.”