Link to watch stream
The program/memorial has officially started. Hope Ward, Charlie's daughter, is playing "My Way" by Frank Sinatra on the violin. And doing a darn good job, too.
Bobby Butler is the officiant for the service. He is a reverend up in the Atlanta area, and he was also of course an All-American cornerback that played for Bowden at FSU from 1977 to 1980. He thanked Ann Bowden for being there with Bobby every step of the way.
Butler talking about meeting Bowden for the first time and knowing right then that he would play at FSU.
"Coach Bowden means so much to so many of us for so many reasons. ... When I met him for the first time I couldn't put my finger on what was it that drew me to him. ... I fell in love with this guy, what was it? I couldn't put my finger on it until many years later, but he reminded me so much of my father."
Butler told a story about seeing Bowden at a booster tour event in West Palm years after graduating and that night was when he decided to serve the Lord for the rest of his life. He said it was Bowden that gave him that push.
He also said that Deion Sanders won't be at the memorial today, he'll be with the family in Alabama tomorrow. Derrick Brooks will speaking in his place (not a bad back-up plan).
Former assistant coach Jimmy Heggins' ex wife, Winnie, is now singing.
Charlie Ward is up first to speak.
"Thank you for sharing your dad and husband with us."
"I'm grateful that Coach Bowden listened to Coach McDuffie when he stood on a table to give me a chance at Florida State."
"He prepared us for the game of life. Every Friday night was always bible-based. He took us to two churches during the preseason each and every summer, which only Coach B could do because he was open and bold in his faith. ... He prepared me to see what humility looks like as a leader."
"His willingness to do what was best for the team was always on display."
"I'm grateful he allowed me to fail and let me come back to redeem myself. ... He reminded me in that Clemson game that we were wearing white, not orange."
"He told me waiting for what you want doesn't mean you can't get better while you wait."
Says he's grateful to Bowden because he allowed him to play basketball while he was waiting to play football.
"Coach Bowden, thanks for all the memories you and I shared while you were leaving. I love you and I'll see you one day in heaven."
Derrick Brooks up next.
"Faith, family and football. In that order."
"Coach Bowden outwardly lived his faith."
Brooks tells a story about being called into Bowden's office as a freshman. ... "Derrick, I'm disappointed in you. You're not living up to your potential and I'm not going to stand for that."
"Derrick, you've never made a C in your life, elementary school to high school. And you get here for four months and you've already made a C." His mom was on the speaker phone and was NOT happy about hearing about a C in biology. So she went off on Brooks on the phone.
"Dadgummit, I don't want (your mom) coming down here to whoop your butt and my butt at the same time, you better figure this out. ... But from that moment there it just made me fall in love with him because he made a commitment to my parents."
"His last words to me, if Derrick gives me 10 minutes or 10 years, I'm at peace. But more importantly, I want you to continue changing lives in the community and dadgummit, keep hugging your babies."
Mark Richt is up next. He's clearly very emotional already.
"It's an honor for me to be here today. ... It was an honor to coach for him. ... He cared very much about us, he cared very much about our faith."
"Some coaches motivate by fear, motivate by intimidation, and you can get results that way ... But coach didn't motivate that way. He motivated with compassion. ... We wanted to win for him as much as we wanted to win for us, because we loved him so much."
"I don't think God asked Coach how many championships he won, I think he asked him what did you with the people you had authority over. ... Well done, good and faithful servant."
Now we have another musical interlude. "I can only imagine" by the FAMU gospel choir.
Warrick Dunn is up next.
"Being 5-9, but really I was 5-7, 150 pounds. Everybody recruited me to play defensive back, but I wanted to play running back. Every coach told me no, except Coach Bowden."
"Coach was the kind of man who uses faith and wisdom to shape boys into men. ... what's special about Coach Bowden he's always looking out for his players."
"I wouldn't be here today without coach, and I'm thankful for the role he played in my life and I'm sure many others would say the same. Dadgummit, rest in peace, Coach."
Mickey Andrews is up next.
He starts off by telling Dunn, "nobody knows how good a defensive back you could've been, buddy."
Mickey is getting emotional. "Miss Ann, Bowden family, I appreciate you asking me to be a part of this."
"I was really blessed in my life, my coaching profession and my other parts of my life, I didn't get to finish it with Diane (his late wife) and I'm going to tell you, when coach walked into those pearly gates Diane was right there giving him the chop."
"Coach Bryant taught me how to win, Coach Bowden taught me how to care. And I needed that. ... I found out you could still coach tough, still demand great effort, if the players trusted you."
Mickey has been talking a lot about mat drills. A lot.
"I think they told me three to five minutes. I don't have a watch, so run me off when you want me to sit down."
"Coach was our leader, he was our buddy, and now he's our Saint. .... Try to remember the great things he stood for and laid the groundwork for this program."
Bobby's daughter, Ginger, reading a love letter from Bobby to Ann back when he was in college. It was from March 10, 1949. They got married three weeks later.
That was heartfelt, talking about how much Ann had meant to Bobby and how much he loved and adored her. And how she took care of him for 72 years.
Now we have another musical interlude. That was an emotional one. Man.
Pictures of Ann and Bobby together through the years as "Wind beneath my wings" was sung.
Tommy Bowden now speaking.
"I knew he loved me, he just never said it. ... I wanted to be with him and have that moment."
Tells a funny story about telling his dad he loved him about 10 or 12 days ago. For the first time in his life. And his dad responded by saying, "Thank you. I appreciate that."
Now Terry is speaking.
"I wish I could say they're saving the best for last, but they're saving the littlest for last."
"He was fierce, he was inspirational and he was motivational, but that's not the father he was. That's not the kind of Christian he wanted to be. He was kind."
"His heart was never far away from FSU football."
"Football was a priority of his life, and it was FSU football. ... It was a priority of his life, but not FSU football."
Terry Bowden ends with a letter Bobby wrote the family after a family tragedy back in 2004.
Now Bowden's former pastor, Ronny Raines, is speaking to close the memorial out.
"He said, 'I'm at peace. I'm ready to go home.'
"Welcome home, Coach Bowden. Welcome home."
Bobby Butler gave the benediction and now the FAMU gospel choir is singing again.
When they're done, the Marching Chiefs will play and that will be the end of memorial service.
The full band came in and played the fight song and the warchant.
And that was the end of the Bobby Bowden memorial service.
Thanks for reading along.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good morning. The "Celebration of Life" memorial for Coach Bowden is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET in the Tucker Center.
UPDATES:
Here's the schedule for today's service:
--------
Among the scheduled speakers today are former FSU greats Charlie Ward, Deion Sanders and Warrick Dunn.
We will have several staff members in attendance, and we'll be providing updates right here for those who cannot attend or watch the live stream. We also will post the link for the stream when it goes live, and we hope to have a recording of it afterward.
Check back closer to 11 for updates from the event.
The program/memorial has officially started. Hope Ward, Charlie's daughter, is playing "My Way" by Frank Sinatra on the violin. And doing a darn good job, too.
Bobby Butler is the officiant for the service. He is a reverend up in the Atlanta area, and he was also of course an All-American cornerback that played for Bowden at FSU from 1977 to 1980. He thanked Ann Bowden for being there with Bobby every step of the way.
Butler talking about meeting Bowden for the first time and knowing right then that he would play at FSU.
"Coach Bowden means so much to so many of us for so many reasons. ... When I met him for the first time I couldn't put my finger on what was it that drew me to him. ... I fell in love with this guy, what was it? I couldn't put my finger on it until many years later, but he reminded me so much of my father."
Butler told a story about seeing Bowden at a booster tour event in West Palm years after graduating and that night was when he decided to serve the Lord for the rest of his life. He said it was Bowden that gave him that push.
He also said that Deion Sanders won't be at the memorial today, he'll be with the family in Alabama tomorrow. Derrick Brooks will speaking in his place (not a bad back-up plan).
Former assistant coach Jimmy Heggins' ex wife, Winnie, is now singing.
Charlie Ward is up first to speak.
"Thank you for sharing your dad and husband with us."
"I'm grateful that Coach Bowden listened to Coach McDuffie when he stood on a table to give me a chance at Florida State."
"He prepared us for the game of life. Every Friday night was always bible-based. He took us to two churches during the preseason each and every summer, which only Coach B could do because he was open and bold in his faith. ... He prepared me to see what humility looks like as a leader."
"His willingness to do what was best for the team was always on display."
"I'm grateful he allowed me to fail and let me come back to redeem myself. ... He reminded me in that Clemson game that we were wearing white, not orange."
"He told me waiting for what you want doesn't mean you can't get better while you wait."
Says he's grateful to Bowden because he allowed him to play basketball while he was waiting to play football.
"Coach Bowden, thanks for all the memories you and I shared while you were leaving. I love you and I'll see you one day in heaven."
Derrick Brooks up next.
"Faith, family and football. In that order."
"Coach Bowden outwardly lived his faith."
Brooks tells a story about being called into Bowden's office as a freshman. ... "Derrick, I'm disappointed in you. You're not living up to your potential and I'm not going to stand for that."
"Derrick, you've never made a C in your life, elementary school to high school. And you get here for four months and you've already made a C." His mom was on the speaker phone and was NOT happy about hearing about a C in biology. So she went off on Brooks on the phone.
"Dadgummit, I don't want (your mom) coming down here to whoop your butt and my butt at the same time, you better figure this out. ... But from that moment there it just made me fall in love with him because he made a commitment to my parents."
"His last words to me, if Derrick gives me 10 minutes or 10 years, I'm at peace. But more importantly, I want you to continue changing lives in the community and dadgummit, keep hugging your babies."
Mark Richt is up next. He's clearly very emotional already.
"It's an honor for me to be here today. ... It was an honor to coach for him. ... He cared very much about us, he cared very much about our faith."
"Some coaches motivate by fear, motivate by intimidation, and you can get results that way ... But coach didn't motivate that way. He motivated with compassion. ... We wanted to win for him as much as we wanted to win for us, because we loved him so much."
"I don't think God asked Coach how many championships he won, I think he asked him what did you with the people you had authority over. ... Well done, good and faithful servant."
Now we have another musical interlude. "I can only imagine" by the FAMU gospel choir.
Warrick Dunn is up next.
"Being 5-9, but really I was 5-7, 150 pounds. Everybody recruited me to play defensive back, but I wanted to play running back. Every coach told me no, except Coach Bowden."
"Coach was the kind of man who uses faith and wisdom to shape boys into men. ... what's special about Coach Bowden he's always looking out for his players."
"I wouldn't be here today without coach, and I'm thankful for the role he played in my life and I'm sure many others would say the same. Dadgummit, rest in peace, Coach."
Mickey Andrews is up next.
He starts off by telling Dunn, "nobody knows how good a defensive back you could've been, buddy."
Mickey is getting emotional. "Miss Ann, Bowden family, I appreciate you asking me to be a part of this."
"I was really blessed in my life, my coaching profession and my other parts of my life, I didn't get to finish it with Diane (his late wife) and I'm going to tell you, when coach walked into those pearly gates Diane was right there giving him the chop."
"Coach Bryant taught me how to win, Coach Bowden taught me how to care. And I needed that. ... I found out you could still coach tough, still demand great effort, if the players trusted you."
Mickey has been talking a lot about mat drills. A lot.
"I think they told me three to five minutes. I don't have a watch, so run me off when you want me to sit down."
"Coach was our leader, he was our buddy, and now he's our Saint. .... Try to remember the great things he stood for and laid the groundwork for this program."
Bobby's daughter, Ginger, reading a love letter from Bobby to Ann back when he was in college. It was from March 10, 1949. They got married three weeks later.
That was heartfelt, talking about how much Ann had meant to Bobby and how much he loved and adored her. And how she took care of him for 72 years.
Now we have another musical interlude. That was an emotional one. Man.
Pictures of Ann and Bobby together through the years as "Wind beneath my wings" was sung.
Tommy Bowden now speaking.
"I knew he loved me, he just never said it. ... I wanted to be with him and have that moment."
Tells a funny story about telling his dad he loved him about 10 or 12 days ago. For the first time in his life. And his dad responded by saying, "Thank you. I appreciate that."
Now Terry is speaking.
"I wish I could say they're saving the best for last, but they're saving the littlest for last."
"He was fierce, he was inspirational and he was motivational, but that's not the father he was. That's not the kind of Christian he wanted to be. He was kind."
"His heart was never far away from FSU football."
"Football was a priority of his life, and it was FSU football. ... It was a priority of his life, but not FSU football."
Terry Bowden ends with a letter Bobby wrote the family after a family tragedy back in 2004.
Now Bowden's former pastor, Ronny Raines, is speaking to close the memorial out.
"He said, 'I'm at peace. I'm ready to go home.'
"Welcome home, Coach Bowden. Welcome home."
Bobby Butler gave the benediction and now the FAMU gospel choir is singing again.
When they're done, the Marching Chiefs will play and that will be the end of memorial service.
The full band came in and played the fight song and the warchant.
And that was the end of the Bobby Bowden memorial service.
Thanks for reading along.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good morning. The "Celebration of Life" memorial for Coach Bowden is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET in the Tucker Center.
UPDATES:
Here's the schedule for today's service:
--------
Among the scheduled speakers today are former FSU greats Charlie Ward, Deion Sanders and Warrick Dunn.
We will have several staff members in attendance, and we'll be providing updates right here for those who cannot attend or watch the live stream. We also will post the link for the stream when it goes live, and we hope to have a recording of it afterward.
Check back closer to 11 for updates from the event.
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