I mean, he made Forrest Gump into an All-American. The man was a legend.
The Bear loved natural turf.
Damn that is awesome.
My great-grandpa apparently put peanuts in his iced tea and Coke and said he'd done it since he was a little kid in Louisiana in the 1910's.
I just want to see Spurrier throw his visor.
Mark Richt has not lost control of Bobby Bowden.
This makes me happy
I hope Coach didn't type this. As a graduate student at Samford, I feel kinda shunned.
i think jimbo mightve learned that one against NC State a couple years back
He was also 35 when he did that.
Okay, that was pretty funny.
Awesome. Considering he couldn't have played at Notre Dame more than a handful of times in his 44 year HC career. #proud
Yeah, I took her out for a nice seafood dinner and then NEVER CALLED HER AGAIN.
CAROL MUSCHAMP IS A SAINT
There's no better way to have worded that question.
Thanks for everything coach. First class.
Good man right here. Thanks Coach!
I'm not even mad. It's my favorite rivalry and these little jabs are part of what makes it great. You have to be able to compliment someone you hate and disrespect them in the same breath. Bobby ...
Coach, I believe that was Carol Muschamp, she don't know no better bless her heart.
Sounds like Richt has complete control.
Had to know he wasn't going to touch this one.
This is great advice. It feels hard to implement for people on their first job out, but that's probably not the job of your dreams people. Listen to coach and life will guide you right.
I'm just very pleased and happy that I'm able to help Kidz1stFund, because I care for Jimbo, Candi, and their family so much. You know I've lost two granchildren in the last few years. You're n...
Yeah they're not as rabid up there as they are down here. These people down here, it's religion. Go to a ball game up there and they coach in ties, we're in blue jeans. It isn't as loud as LSU an...
Coach, I know you've supported Jimbo in all that he's done in Tallahassee so far. It's great that you're helping out with Kidz1st Fund as well.
I don't think I've talked to Ron in about a year. He was probably about the most imposing football player we ever had at. You know everybody in the country wanted him. Do you remember him? Just b...
Hello Coach! In 1991, you led FSU to a 51-31 shellacking of Michigan, in the Big House. Would you say it's true that despite its size, it's one of the quieter and less intimidating venues?
The thing at Alabama was this, I finished high school then went to Alabama in January – that was when you could graduate in January. Ann and I got married when she was 16. About time she got ...
> This may be my favorite answer of any AMA. FTFY
Thanks for responding! I really love the new uniforms but I don't like the logo. The timing of Tommy Wright's death and the national championship win along with the backlash from fans made it fee...
Let me say this. He's got the best start no doubt about it. And he could definitely end up the best, but let's see how his career goes. A lot of things can happen. People forget Chris Weinke to...
I think I would have gone military. I love military.
I don't think that will go over. I think it's best that it doesn't go over. When a kid starts getting his own lawyer to tell you and the university how much to pay him, that's going too far.
Coach, had you not gone into coaching, what would've been your profession (and has that answer changed with time?)
I appreciate that. I had a great relationship with Marshal. A lot don't know this, but I was offered the job at Marshal the year before that plane crash. I felt like I could get a bigger school...
It is the best. Definitely one of the best I've ever seen in an AMA.
No question, but just wanted to say this is one of the greatest AMA's I've seen. Answering questions about statutes coming to life, what to order from Taco bell, and all the real ones as well. Co...
Yes I don't like it. You can't stop it. It's just the trend of the day and keeps growing and growing. But we keep telling these kids how good they are and they haven't done nothing. So they go to...
Thanks for the reply coach. Even though I'm a Gator I gotta admit that you were always a classy dude.
Do you mean the 2nd greatest? To me the greatest was Bear Bryant. He got more out of his players than anyone ever.
Golly, well 93 was very important because it was your first one. At that point people weren't thinking you couldn't get one. That got the monkey off your back. 99 was more of an accomplishment ...
Thank you so much for the completely unexpected response...now I have to find some way to watch this game!
Well I've signed about everything you can put out there. I did have to turn down a lady who wanted me to sign her breast. I don't know if she was drunk or on drugs or what!
First off, thank you for doing this IAMA and second, thanks for the great Halloween memories from living in your neighborhood. Do you feel recruiting has changed for the worse with all the medi...
Ha ha. Yeah, number one you have to be willing to give in. As a man, you can't always have your way. As a woman, you can't always have your way. You have to give in to each other from time to tim...
And if you put a little cheese in there I don't mind.
Coach Bowden, which was your favorite national championship? 1993 or 1999?
You can put all those "really's" on there as much as you want. He's an excellent football coach. He's a good daddy for those boys. A good family man. A good representative for the University of G...
What's the strangest encounter you've ever had with a fan?
Coach, I've been married 3 years in October. Any advice to make it last 50 years?
Not coach, but the best time to look for a job is when you already have one. Take the job, but don't stop looking.
Coach can tell us your favourite memory from your playing career as a QB at the University of Alabama and then at Howard?
This may be my favorite answer of the entire AMA.
Well, you're pretty honest there. There were several stadiums we played in where the noise was just about unbearable. Worst was LSU. I mean you couldn't hear nothing. And Clemson. I mean at Cle...
Hi Coach. How do you feel about players wanting to unionize?
I've always wanted my legacy to be... I'll give you a good quote: "I served God's purpose for my life." If I don't do that I don't think I did anything. For football I want people to remember "He...
Coach Bowden, who do you believe was the greatest college football coach of all time?
We go to Panama City every summer, since it was just me and Ann – 50 years. We always go in the last week of June and first week in July. All of our children still come, even though they're 50s...
Well, it's according to how confident you are about getting another job. Maybe you ought to take a bird in the hand and take it and then go after something later.
Wooh. Gosh, seldom do I eat at Taco Bell, I'm not sure. I don't know. I guess I'd look to see what the most expensive thing was and go ahead and buy it. Hoping that they know what they're talking...
The answer to this question lies in the comments. Feed it banana pudding and chocolate pie.
Well you know, I always did that. I'd get an orange drink and put peanuts in it, or any cold drink. I think Jimbo does that too. It's an old country habit. That's just like lunch to me, boy.
I speak for all Miami fans when I say that I'm thankful you didn't have Janikowski longer than you did. Thanks for being a good sport about it, and thanks for the memories!
> crushed mowed down
I wouldn't want to stop it. Keep raging.
When we played Florida and Miami, they were at their best or we were at our best. It would be 1 vs. 2 or 1 vs. 3. We had to play Spurrier when he was at the top of his game.
Coach Bowden, I'd like to ask the question that very well may save all of our lives one day. If your statue at FSU were to come to life and start wreaking havoc on campus, how do we stop it?
Oh snap, it's T-Bob!
Coach, what's your favorite way to spend time with your family?
What was the loudest stadium you ever played in and why was it The Swamp?
Chocolate. I love chocolate. They don't make good chocolate anymore. My grandma could make it.
My memorable season was 1977. It was my second year at Florida State. Now the year before we had our only losing season and before that we had an 0-11 season. In 1977 we played in our first bowl ...
Coach, what do you hope your lasting legacy will be at Florida State? Besides the National Championships and all the wins, what is most important to you? Also, having grown up watching you stal...
I definitely think he's the guy to do it and they better hope he stays there. I definitely think they can do it. They happen to be in the hottest parts of the country as far as recruiting players...
What is your favorite type of pie?
Well I usually tell them is to get they priorities in order. Many people go through life without priorities, day-to-day meal-to-meal. Get those in order. Make God number 1, family number 2, other...
The closest thing I have to a mountain is my stomach. Everything else I have is in pretty good shape!
Awesome! Too bad you whooped our ass so many times!
It wouldn't surprise me if one does. I think UCF showed last year what can happen when they start to get up there. I think they were 11-1 and beat Baylor. If they're, the administration, willin...
I like milk. I don't drink it much at my age, but as a kid I liked it. I'd come home and kill a quart.
That's a sign of the times. Everyone else is doing the same thing. I'm a traditionalist. I was fine with the way it was. If they want to change it, that's fine. They tried to get us to change uni...
Or the Louisville game in 200X...
Hi Bobby, My wife absolutely adores you. She was practically born in an FSU onsie. As a toddler, she used to say over and over again that "Bobby Bowden is a Mountain". Are you, in fact, a mountai...
I don't think it's ever going to go to that. I was surprised it went to 4. The reason why is football is an injury game. The more you play, the more likely to get hurt. That would extend your sea...
Boy, have you ever thought about (I have!) how many national championships we might have won if we had Janikowski every year of my career? We lost so many games because of that. 1987 was a year w...
Well I think Bear Bryant was the coach that I followed the most and tried to emulate the most. I think he's one of the greatest coaches ever. I learned a lot of football from him and his staff wh...
I never did have the desire to coach pro ball. I preferred to coach college athletes because I thought I could have more impact on them than I could on a guy making $10 million a year. I was ne...
It is so good, these days that would be a recruiting violation. Stupid NCAA
I was not invited to join, but there were some rumors. I'm interested to see how that comes out. How do you keep your prejudices out of it? If you're a graduate of Oklahoma and it comes time to v...
I'm having flashbacks of the 2003 Miami game when our field turned into a soup bowl.
Well they really want to beat Spurrier so... I'm sure any price is possible.
Well we started off with Oakley. Then, we went heavily into Nike – we ended up with Nike.
> which we did a lot Rustle them jimmies, coach.
On a scale of wide left to wide right, how important would you rate the position of kicker?
You know it doesn't register on me. You know, let me just say this, I appreciate them doing it.
Coach Bowden, which coach in your life was the most influential to the method you coached your men with? The one you learned the most lessons from in leading young men. Thanks!
I appreciate that. I enjoyed it. It was a lucky break for me to come to FSU when I did. I came at the right time, when they were down and got to build them up. I was blessed coaching there with g...
Well we never went on probation. There was a scandal where some players had received some information about a test but so did the rest of the class. They took 12 games away from me; a similar s...
We would have been honored to have you at any age. This made my day
Well, that banana pudding really played a big roll. It's amazing every weekend when we would recruit it was just common knowledge that there was banana pudding at Ann's house. Nobody loved it mor...
West Virginia and Pitt in 1970. We had them at 35-8 at halftime. We ended up losing the game 36-35. We played too conservative. I never sat on the ball again after that. Never.
Well, Bill Peterson who used to coach at FSU was their AD so you know we always had material that was obsolete as far as we were concerned because we would buy new stuff, so it was a pleasure to ...
The movie was very accurate. I met Jack Lengyel up in NY a while back and he said, "We made the movie and you were in it." And when I saw it, it was about as accurate as it can be. If it's in tha...
Do you like milk?
Well, we put the puntrooskie in during the summer before the season and had it ready for any game. In fact, we were going to use it against UM, but they beat us so bad that year we didn't need it...
Most successful quarterbacks would have to be Chris Wink and Charlie Ward because they won a National Championship but we of course had a couple others who were just as talented. Best quarterback...
But you have to work with Kristian...
How much are they paying?
What do you think of the new logo and uniforms? Do you think the change was for the better or worse?
Yes, I still talk to him occasionally because I admire him so much. I think he's been one of the greatest coaches to come down the pipe. They love him in Nebraska and he's been great for Nebraska...
HAVE YOU SEEN THE JOB MARKET COACH?!
How does it feel being immortalized in one of the largest stained glass portraits in the world, third to Jesus and the Virgin Mary?
Coach Bowden what was your most memorable season or group of players?
I like artificial turf because you can count on it. If you have natural turf and a storm rolls in then it can make the ballgame a mess you know, but the artificial turf in five minutes it's ready...
I was surprised it happened so quickly after Jimbo took the job. It's usually so difficult coming in behind a guy who's been coaching for 34 years. But he's had a tremendous start to his career a...
Well, I could do without the playoff system. Four teams in a playoff vs two teams voted in; I've coached for years and never had a playoff – everything was OK. More teams have a chance to win a...
That was always a great motivating ballgame with Spurrier. The reason is, he was kind of an offensive genius so I always liked it when we'd outscore him, which we did a lot. He's one of the great...
Hey Coach! Do you think Jameis is the best QB to ever play at FSU?
Well, Schnellenberger came to UM I think around 79. I think we beat them his first couple of years, then he got his program going. Then in 83 we led him until the last play of the game and he kic...
If I could coach anywhere except here it would be Alabama. It has always been my dream to coach for University of Alabama. I was offered the job one time but I felt like I was too old at the time...
We love Old Town Cafe and Sonny's BBQ, but we make our rounds around town.
I am so happy.... I love Bobby Bowden and Bobby Bowden loves Baton Rouge... I also love alliteration so this was almost a perfect day
Coach, when was the last time you talked to Ron Simmons?
Coach, I heard at one point you turned down the head coaching gig for the Falcons. Clearly, for longevity purposes, College ball seems like the safer bet as it seems no one is safe in the NFL. My...
I picked it up from my dad. He didn't swear, but he'd use words to make up for it. Yeah, I'm sure I got that one from my dad.
The most important game we played was 1980 when we beat Nebraska - up there - they were #3 in the nation and we were underdogs. Back in those days you didn't beat Nebraska there. But we upset the...
A Canes fan once told me that he met you outside a Tallahassee gas station and you were putting peanuts in your RC Cola. Is this true and would that also make you a trendsetter in that regard?
How many recruits did you think became Seminoles because of Ann's famous dessert? Thank you for all you did for Florida State University, and keeping your faith as your #1 priority.
Well, you know what it takes a little of the pain off the fact that it is your son. Because football is a game where you have to win. When we first started that series it was a lot of fun, you kn...
Probably Jamie Dukes. He had a great personality, always a smile on his face and liked to cut up. He'd be one of the first ones I'd think of.
Biggest change in recruiting is that it just grew and grew. In fact when I first started my career you really recruited through letters. You might visit a practice or something like that but it w...
As a Marshall Alum and fan i just wanted to say you are pure class....Thanks Coach
There were some people that came to see me about making a movie, but they didn't end up doing it. They talked about, dadgummit, about the guy that played Jack Lengyel in We Are Marshall. Yea, Mat...
That's a doggone good question cause there's so many great wins through the years. The most memorable ones were actually probably the ones we lost.
I think the best athlete I ever coached was Deion Sanders. We had other players who were good in their own way. But, I don't think we ever had anyone with as much natural talent.
Because he's an angel, not a demon.
This would be amazing. Can you imagine if he won both and it became an annual thing.
That was one of the biggest honors I've ever received. I've had a lot of boys named after me. I've had a lot of dogs named after me. But having a daughter named after me was a great honor. That w...
Which of the non "Big 3" schools in Florida do you see getting up there with UF, FSU and The U?
What kind of advice I can give you? I'd say be honest. Be honest in all your dealings. Don't try to sweep anything under the rug. State what you believe. If they don't want you then you don't wan...
1) Baton Rouge. I also loved Notre Dame because of the tradition. 2) Chocolate!
Well, it's such a good cause and we've got to find the answer; the only way we can find the answer is with money. We need the scientists to work on it with that money to help find the answer.
You coached some real characters over the years, what player made you laugh the most?
Hey Coach, You have mentored many football players through the years, men that were between 18 and 22. I am about to graduate from FSU in May. What is some advice you could give me for a person...
Good morning Mr. Bowden. Thanks for doing this. I was wondering who was the best quarterback you coached, and who was the best quarterback you coached against?
What is your favorite place to eat in Tallahassee
What is your most memorable moment being head coach of FSU? Winning a NCG or was there something not as "impressive" that stands out to you even more?
Coach Bowden, Were you invited to join the College Football Playoff's selection committee? If so, why did you decline? Also, what are your thoughts on the playoff and selection committee in g...
If you could roll back the clock and redo one game from your entire career, what game would you want to coach one more time?
Coach Bowden, I want to thank you for the phrase 'dadgum' because I use it in place of cuss words which no doubt is a better choice. Where did you pick it up from and what should I tell my fiance...
Coach Bowden-why didn't you end up back at Alabama?
If you could coach anywhere (except where you already have) where would it be? > Question > > by > > /u/Emperor_of_Orange
Bobby, you have been one of my favorite personalities for as long as I've been alive. One day it's my dream to attend a game at Doak to see the pageantry associated with an FSU game and the progr...
Alright Mr. Bowden, Clemson offers you a huge amount of money to coach Clemson for two games over two years: a home and home against South Carolina. Would you take it?
Coach, you were portrayed in We Are Marshall, helping the reeling Marshall team recover from one of the worst sports tragedies ever. How accurate was the portrayal of you and how closely did your...
Coach, no question here. just a simple, Thank you for everything you did for and meant to FSU.
Coach Bowden, just wanted to let you know that I had the privilege of being coached during my Senior year of high school football by your former player Derrick Alexander. He's a great man and I k...
How surprised were you by the national championship victory last year?
Coach, how does a head coach properly run his program?
Coach Bowden, despite some differences of opinion regarding football in the state of Florida, I've always had the utmost respect for you both on and off the field. Can you tell us what being invo...
Mr. Bowden, what action do you feel proudest of during your tenure at FSU? > Question > > by > > > /u/FSUalumni
How did you donating uniforms and cleats to UCF happen? Also Thanks > Question > > by > > /u/UMKcentersnare
Coach Bowden, I really like how you wrote to the Lincoln Journal Star after Florida State Beat Nebraska in 1980 and how we applauded the FSU team after we got defeated saying how we are gracious ...
Mr. Bowden, if someone made a movie about your life, who would play you? > Question > > by > > /u/Dub124
What led you to calling the puntrooskie? Did you think it would work as well as it did? Thanks for doing this AMA, and supporting such a great charity like the Kidz1stFund! > Question > > b...
Kind of an off the wall question for you coach, but throughout your years, what was your preferred playing surface? Artificial turf or natural grass? > Question > > by > > /u/TrimChaser�...
Coach Bowden, in 1969 while you were an Assistant Coach at West Virginia, Eddie Barrett from Marshall tried to hire you, and if you had taken the job you would have most likely perished in the cr...
Mr Bowden, what led to the decision to keep Mark Richt as the play caller in the 2000 BCS national championship? By all accounts he had one foot out the door and was recruiting for Georgia at the...
What was it like coaching against Spurrier back when he was at Florida? Any good stories?
How do you feel about Christian Ponder naming his daughter after you? > Question > > by > > /u/d80bn
Coach Bowden, How was your relationship with Howard Schnellenberger as the two of you brought your respective programs to national prominence? What have been your favorite books on WW2?
Do you think an 8 team playoff is the end result of this shift from the BCS to a playoff?
CONFIRMED BY MODERATORS Welcome to /r/CFB , Coach Bowden, we're happy to have you! https://twitter.com/Kidz1stFund/status/501675830859530241
Coach I start my new job today, any advice to give me?
When will Miami be good again? Do you think Golden is the guy to do it?
You were a head coach for almost 40 years. What were some of the biggest changes in recruiting you saw over that time?
Hi Bobby, I miss the Spurrier and Bowden annual matchup. That is all
What was the most memorable game you ever coached?
If you never got the FSU job, where would you have wanted to coach?
Big fan of yours Coach. I've got two questions: What was your favorite stadium to visit? What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
What brand sunglasses are those you always wear?
What was your initial emotion when Tommy got his first win against you?
Who was the greatest athlete you ever coached? I remember meeting you with my dad a long time ago and, you were very kind to us thank you.
What do you think about the new Playoff system? If there were any changes you could make to it, what would they be?
Hi, Bobby Bowden, Hall of Fame former head coach of FSU, West Virginia, and Samford here today to support Kidz1stFund and answer your questions! How to donate to Jimbo & Candi's Kidz1st...
https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/2dyxft/im_bobby_bowden_former_fsu_head_coach_dadgummit/