Florida State announces tributes honoring Bobby Bowden

Bobby Bowden’s impact on Florida State is everlasting. This season, the university will celebrate the life of one of the sport’s legends throughout the year.

Honoring a Legend#NoleFamily

— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) September 1, 2021

“Honoring a legend,” tweeted Florida State Football.

In tribute, Florida State will wear helmet bumpers with Bowden’s signature. Additionally, they also paint the Bowden logo on the 25-yard line opposite the ACC logos, among other tributes.

The school detailed each tribute in a statement today.

“Each back helmet bumper will feature Coach Bowden’s signature in garnet on a white background, and each coach’s polo will have the Bowden patch on one sleeve.

“On the field, the Bowden logo with his iconic hat and “Bobby” signature will be painted on each 25-yard line opposite the ACC logos. 

“In the south end zone, a tribute banner with the same logo will be installed over the area that was previously occupied by the Marching Chiefs before their move to the north end zone.”

Last month, current Florida State head coach Mike Norvell released a statement detailing his admiration for Bobby Bowden.

“Coach Bowden was one of the greatest coaches ever, but more than that he was an incredible man. He was a special human being who earned an enduring legacy because of his wonderful heart, faith and values he lived. It was the honor of my lifetime to know him and beyond anything I could dream to have a relationship with him,” stated Norvell.

Bobby Bowden’s Legacy

Bobby Bowden amassed a 315-98-4 record during his 34-year tenure in Tallahassee. When he took over at Florida State, the team had gone 4-29 in its previous three seasons. 

By his second year, they won 10 games. Over the next 14 years leading up to FSU’s ACC debut, they won at least nine games nine times. 

When they joined their new conference, then-ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan commented how valuable they had become in the college football world.

“Their football team had more national television exposure last year than all our teams had together,” Corrigan said. 

Bowden transformed the Seminoles into a standard bearer of the college football world,  twice reaching the pinnacle of college football. His team won national titles in 1993 and 1999. 

Bowden was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006, before retiring in 2009.

A pioneer in the world of college football, Bowden’s legacy will always be intertwined with Florida State. In addition, Norvall states that the name Bobby Bowden will always conjure up memories of his success in Tallahassee.

“I think any player, any fan, any coach, when you step foot here on Florida State that’s the name you’re going to associate with our program,” Norvell said.