A tossed shoe helped FSU earn a win in '84

By Charlie Barnes, Executive Director - Seminole Boosters

On his way to the locker room after every game Bobby Bowden tosses his hat to the fans. The gesture is his salute to the enthusiasm of the students, the Marching Chiefs, indeed to all Seminole fans whose cheers bolster the spirits of our players and demoralize opponents.

We all know how the intense emotion of our Seminole crowd can influence the game. But there was one game, on one cool September day long ago when Seminole fans responded physically to help win a game.

It was our season opener in 1984. The Pirates of East Carolina came to Tallahassee.

The East Carolina Head Coach was a fellow burdened by something of an unsavory reputation, and his players seemed eager to extend that reputation onto the playing field. They were especially nasty before the game, trying to scare Renegade and intimidate our crowd and our players.

The nastiness continued throughout the game. Every time they tackled Seminole quarterback Eric Thomas, Pirates would rip out the little towel he carried tucked into his pants. They'd throw it away so Thomas would have to scramble after it and retrieve it before returning to the huddle. It wasn't really a big deal, but it was a constant minor irritation. And our fans noticed.

After one play, a Pirate defensive lineman lost his shoe on the field. He walked around for a few moments looking for his shoe but it wasn't there. One of our Seminole offensive linemen had had enough of the Pirates abusing his quarterback so he tossed the shoe to our sidelines where one of the assistant coaches picked it up and threw it into the delighted Seminole crowd.

The East Carolina player was unaware of this as he continued to circle aimlessly looking for the shoe he knew had to be there.

The clock was ticking down. The defense was huddled up but that one lineman was still wandering about with a puzzled look.

An alert Pirate assistant coach called the befuddled lineman in and sent another tackle out to take his place. Meanwhile, the shoe was passed up and down the stands and eventually tossed to the FSU Cheerleaders, who then threw it back out onto the playing surface.

There were now eleven fully shod East Carolina players scattered about the field, plus one extra additional shoe.

The Seminole offense lined up and snapped the ball. The replacement Pirate lineman was late getting in and running as hard as he could but it was OK because the play was moving away from him.

But wait!

It's Bobby Bowden's favorite play: the reverse.

Seminole scatback Darrin Holloman rolled back against the grain and right through the corridor where the replacement lineman would have been had he not overrun the play.

Holloman scooted 40 yards for a Seminole touchdown. The disheartened East Carolina defense shuffled off the field to the sidelines where one very large young man still paced, complaining loudly that he could not find his shoe.