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Bobby Bowden had hilarious response to recent request from Dabo Swinney
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
The college football world continues to remember the legendary Bobby Bowden following his death on Sunday.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, of course, was briefly coached by Bowden’s son, Tommy, at Alabama. Swinney later coached under Tommy Bowden at Clemson, first as wide receivers coach and then associate head coach before taking over as head coach of the Tigers in October 2008 following the younger Bowden’s resignation.
According to ClemsonSports.com’s Matt Connolly, Swinney recounted a time he visited with the ailing Bobby Bowden not long ago when he jokingly asked for a little divine intervention should the team need field goal help down the road.
“Boy, you don’t want my help. I had a tendency to be wide,” Swinney recounted Bowden saying.
Dabo opens up post-practice interview talking about Bobby Bowden. Says he spoke with Bowden a couple of weeks ago and told him if he got to heaven first to maybe help him out with a field goal occasionally.
"Boy, you don't want my help. I had a tendency to be wide."
— Matt Connolly (@MattConnollyOn3) August 9, 2021
Of course, Bowden was referring to the struggles of his Florida State teams in the kicking game against in-state rival Miami, including potential game-tying or game-winning field goals that missed wide right in back-to-back years in the 1990s and then again in 2000. Two years later, a game-winning field goal was missed wide left.
More than anything, it spoke to Bowden’s sense of humor, with him even in the latter stages of his life.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
