1986, The All-American Bowl and Bowden

By Jim Joanos

It was a cold, rainy weekend. My wife and I were in Birmingham, Alabama. She was working for the FSU Alumni Association so we were staying at the same hotel as the FSU football team. The team was there to play the University of Indiana team in the All-American Bowl Game on December 31, 1986.

It was an interesting matchup as Indiana had been quite involved in the development of the FSU football program. Back in 1948, one season after restarting football at Florida State, the university had hired an assistant Indiana Coach to be its head coach, Don Veller. Veller, not only an Indiana assistant coach, he had played there as well. As a player, he was remembered as the star of a game between Indiana and its primary rival, Purdue. Veller had clinched the victory on an 85-yard touchdown run.

Veller had brought with him to FSU a staff that included three former Indiana players as assistant coaches. They included Bob Harbison, Charlie and Bill Armstrong. In addition, several Indiana players followed them and transferred to FSU to play there. Consequently, from 1948 through 1952, FSU’s football leadership was dominated by former Indiana players. One such, Bob Harbison, was still on the FSU staff for the upcoming All-American Bowl game.

Of more interest, however, was whether FSU’s Coach Bowden, would leave FSU after the game and become Alabama’s head coach. Bowden, an Alabama boy, had begun his college football career at Alabama. Alabama had a vacancy at head coach. It was believed that Bowden’s dream job was to coach at Alabama. FSU was in Birmingham, so all signs seem to point toward Bowden meeting with Alabama officials after the game and then moving on to Tuscaloosa. Since Bowden had been at FSU, FSU had progressed greatly. Bowden had taken over at FSU in 1976, and elevated a cellar-dweller team to a formidable well respected one. FSU teams had become frequent bowl participants and competed strongly against other major programs. Although FSU supporters understood the relationship between Bowden and Alabama, we dreaded the idea of losing Bowden as our coach. But, we believed that Bowden’s move was inevitable.

As to the game versus Indiana, FSU had a regular season record of 6-4-1. They needed the win to finish off a decent season. They got it, defeating Indiana, 27-13 and obtaining a final ranking for the year of 20th place by the UPI.

FSU’s team in that game included some names that went on to become legendary. Red-shirt freshman running back Sammie Smith had 25 carries for 205 yards including two touchdowns. Tanner Holloman also scored two touchdowns on a modest 6 carries for 36 yards. FSU’s quarterback, Danny McManus, completed 6 of 14 passes for a total of 54 yards. Sophomore Deion Sanders, on defense had an interception and made 8 tackles, 6 of them unassisted. Also, on defense FSU’s Fred Jones and Gregg Newell each participated in 10 tackles.

Later that night, FSU’s president, Bernie Sliger, hosted a victory dinner at our hotel. Although it was a weather-wise very gloomy night, it was very pleasant to be among a group of FSU fans to celebrate the win. There was not a lot of hoopla, as we believed that our coach who had done so much for FSU was about to leave.

The next morning, however, we learned that Coach Bowden, had decided to stay at FSU and declined to further consider Alabama. And stay he did. The following season, FSU’s football team went 11-1 and finished number two in the country. That was the beginning of the Dynasty Years. For 14 consecutive years, FSU would finish each season ranked within the top five teams. That included two national championships in 1993 and 1999.

As I look back on that cold, wet weekend in Birmingham, I remember how playing and beating Indiana meant so much but far and above, the most meaningful thing that happened that weekend was Coach Bowden’s decision to stay at FSU.

About the author:

Jim Joanos

Memories of Garnet and Gold

Jim Joanos and his wife Betty Lou have deep roots at Florida State University. Avid sports fans, they have literally seen, and done, it all. Fortunately for us, Jim loves telling first-hand accounts dating back to FSU’s first football game, a 1947 clash with the Stetson Hatters on Centennial Field, where Cascades Park is today.

The Osceola will run a series of these colorful stories written by the former Tallahassee lawyer and judge, which we feel our readers will find enlightening and/or nostalgic.

Jim and Betty Lou, who was Associate Director of the FSU Alumni Association (1991-2003), have been married 65 years and are each listed as one of FSU’s 100 Distinguished Graduates. The couple were enshrined in the FSU Hall of Fame in 2015 as Moore-Stone Award Recipients. Ironically, both Deans Moore and Stone were instrumental in the Joanoses career development.

“Both Jim and Betty Lou Joanos have been exemplary fans and supporters of Florida State University, both academically and athletically,” said Andy Miller, retired President and CEO of Seminole Boosters, Inc. “You can’t go to an athletic event of any kind that you don’t see both Jim and Betty Lou Joanos together. They love their university as much as they love each other.”