Florida State legend Bobby Bowden diagnosed with terminal condition

Florida State legend Bobby Bowden has been diagnosed with a terminal medical condition, his family announced Wednesday.

“I’ve always tried to serve God’s purpose for my life, on and off the field, and I am prepared for what is to come,” Bowden said. “My wife Ann and our family have been life’s greatest blessing.

“I am at peace.”

The Tallahassee Democrat reported that the 91-year-old Bowden had been in declining health since testing positive for coronavirus last fall.

“Jean and I are deeply saddened about the news on our friend, the legendary Bobby Bowden, and we extend our thoughts and prayers to Bobby, Ann and the entire Bowden family,” FSU president John Thrasher said in a statement. “Coach Bowden built a football dynasty and raised the national profile of Florida State University, and he did it with dignity, class and a sense of humor.

“Although his accomplishments on the field are unmatched, his legacy will go far beyond football. His faith and family have always come first, and he is an incredible role model for his players and fans alike. He is beloved by the FSU family.”

Bowden is one of the iconic figures in Florida history and one of the best college football coaches ever. He built the Seminoles into one of the top programs in the country. For 14 consecutive years from 1987-2000, Bowden’s Seminoles won at least 10 games and finished in the top five of the AP Poll. Not even Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide can match that streak.

Bowden led FSU to the program’s first national championships, in 1993 and 1999. That second team was the first ever to go wire-to-wire at No. 1 in the country. He coached some of the best players Florida has ever seen during his 34 years, including Deion Sanders, Derrick Brooks and Heisman Trophy winners Chris Weinke and Charlie Ward.

“Praying for Coach Bowden and his entire family!” FSU coach Mike Norvell said Wednesday on Twitter. “Incredible man who is loved by so many and the Nole Family is with him.”

Said Seminoles athletic director David Coburn: “Bobby Bowden has meant everything to Florida State athletics and so much to college football in general. He has influenced so many people beyond just the players he coached, and the staff who had the privilege of working with him. He is a part of the heart and soul of FSU, but it goes beyond even that — he is a big part of the history of the game. Anyone who has had the opportunity to be around Coach Bowden knows what it is like to know a person who has his priorities in the right order, who loves life and values integrity and honor.”

News of Bowden’s health quickly spread to Hoover, Ala., the site of the SEC media days.

“He’s a tremendous person,” Mississippi State coach Mike Leach said. “Coach Bowden has been an example to all of us.”