Howard Schnellenberger honored at FAU ceremony as 'father of football'
BOCA RATON — They came from near and far, from different universities and NFL teams, from family and friends, to honor Howard Schnellenberger Friday night.
Among those attending what Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer would declare as "A Celebration of Life Day" were 24 people who spoke in person at the stadium named for the late Schnellenberger on the campus of Florida Atlantic University as well as video tributes from Bob Griese and Joe Namath.
Schnellenberger died on March 27 at the age of 87 and FAU will be honoring him during the 2021 football season in various ways.
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Perhaps it's noteworthy that the man who built the FAU football program from the ground up was honored here rather than at the University of Miami where he led a failing program to its first of five national championships or Louisville where he revived a moribund program and turned it into a national power.
It's also noteworthy that the event did not skip a beat despite having to move indoors when a rain storm hit the stadium.
“Howard was the father of football," said FAU President John Kelly. "He brought national attention to FAU football. He changed FAU from a commuter college. We are in the house that Howard built.”
Former UM center and current UM radio analyst Don Bailey Jr. said, “Howard had a vision and said that UM would win a national championship before the program hadn’t won anything. Howard had a way of getting his players and staff to believe his plan. They outworked everyone, they were in the best condition, most organized and to never be intimidated.”
Mercury Morris, the former Dolphin running back, remembered when Schenellenberger was the offensive coordinator on the team's staff.
“Howard was never funny and was always serious," Morris said. "He was in the press box as a field general. He was the most competitive coach of all time and he saw things as a chess board.”
Former UM quarterback Bernie Kosar remembers one big reason Schnellenberger was able to sign recruits from south Florida who had been going elsewhere to play college football.
“Howard didn’t see skin color, didn’t see race," Kosar said. "He changed football and recruiting. He would recruit from the inner city.”
Former Owls quarterback Jared Allen, MVP of the first football team at the school, said, “you were always welcome and it was always a family atmosphere. ... Howard had an unbelievable vision.”
FAU Athletic Director Brian White talked about building the football program from scratch.
"In the beginning, Howard was told to find 50 founders and he found 100," White said. "He was the fastest to take a program to a bowl game and beat a heavy favorite, Memphis, in the New Orleans Bowl."
Speaking of bowls, George Linley, of the Palm Beach Sports Commission, announced that the Boca Raton Bowl Trophy now will be named the Coach Howard Schnellenberger Championship Trophy.
All those who spoke thanked Beverlee Schnellenberger, Howard's widow and wife of 62 years, for being their "football mom."
She, in turn, thanked everyone for attending the event and said her heart was happy with how any coach could be so honored. She also paid tribute to the lives that were lost 20 years ago on September 11, 2001.
A lot of people ended their tributes by using Schnellenberger’s favorite saying: “To believe is to be strong.”
Some of the other notables who spoke Friday night were: Dick Anderson (Dolphins), Kim Bokamper (Dolphins), Tony Fitzpatrick (Hurricanes), Browning Nagle (University of Louisville), Gary Nord (Louisville, Oklahoma, FAU), Maria Sachs (Palm Beach County Commissioner), Dick Schmidt (FAU), Dwight Stephenson (Dolphins) and Kurt Van Valkenburgh (Louisville, Oklahoma, FAU).