TALLAHASSEE (WTXL) - Bobby Bowden is one of the more, if not the most, recognizable faces in sports. The former head coach of the Florida State Seminoles has a career that spans nearly six decades, retiring after the 2009 season, but don't think he's forgotten about the Seminoles just yet.
"I watch them all. I read all the clippings," he said of how he keeps up with all things Florida State. "I just don't want to go get in that crowd and try to find a parking place. I can sit ten feet from the refrigerator in my house. If I want a cold drink, I'll get me a cold drink!"
A cold drink well deserved. Bowden spent nearly four decades of his coaching career in Tallahassee, giving fans two National titles, and memories to last a lifetime. Those memories would be nothing if Bowden hadn't let his faith steer his life.
"Lot times you say, should I quit? Should I do something else?" Those are struggles Bowden battled while coaching. "I'm not winning, but then the faith would bring me back, and I'm sure glad it did."
Bowden didn't lose much, just 129 times to 377 wins, but there were many heart breakers that fueled the fire to go back and compete, something that Bowden says he expects out this Florida State squad.
"You get to winning all the time, and then you start taking it for granted," he said. "The pressure starts to build, and now that they have broken that, they've taken a defeat, his boys have tasted defeat. Did they like it? No they didn't like it. That might motivate them to play even better this year."
Motivation for a team steered by a new quarterback, a young offense, but that same Florida State mentality.
"Can their defense play good enough to hold them in games until their offense can get some points up there?" said Bowden of where he thinks Florida State's Achilles Heel will be. " I think the offense is going to get points. I just hope our defense, they lost a lot of good football players. If they play great, they're going to win."
Win enough to keep sipping on a cold drink, or two.
