Honoring a legend: FSU Panama City renames annual golf tournament after Bobby Bowden
Samantha Neely
PANAMA CITY — According to Mickey Andrews, there were two things one instantly thinks of when hearing about legendary Florida State University football coach, Bobby Bowden.
What a great coach and a great person.
Andrews, a former FSU football defensive coordinator and assistant coach, said while Bowden had numerous wins under his belt as coach, it was his attitude and respect for players that set him apart.
“I tell people that I learned how to win at Alabama under Coach Bryant,” Andrews said. “But Coach Bowden, he taught me about how to care. And that our job was a lot bigger than winning football games, it was about growing young men.”
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In honor of Bowden, who passed away in August, Florida State University Panama City recently announced the renaming of the FSU Panama City Golf Invitational to the “Florida State University Panama City Bobby Bowden Invitational.”
A presentation was held during the 30th annual golf tournament at Bay Pointe Golf Club and was presented by BancorpSouth. About 160 golfers played to support FSU Panama City. FSU Panama City officials said they wanted to show recognition for Bowden’s “unwavering support of FSU PC, nearly 30 years of participation in the annual golf tournament and the legacy he has left on the Panama City community.”
Randy Hanna, dean of FSU Panama City and the College of Applied Studies, said it was great to have the event after it was canceled due to COVID-19 last year.
“It’s nice to get folks back together,” Hanna said. “Folks who care about Florida State, folks who care about Florida State being in their community and will support FSU Panama City.”
The presentation was attended by many former star FSU athletes and coaches. Former FSU football players at Friday’s FSU PC Golf Invitational included:
- Roberto Aguayo, FSU kicker
- Ricky Aguayo, FSU kicker
- Jason Whitaker, FSU offensive lineman, Consensus All American
- Tom Wheeler, FSU tight end
- Bill Rhodes, FSU defensive lineman
Celebrity golfers in attendance included former FSU Seminoles baseball players Greg Jones and shortstop Don DeLoach; and FSU softball volunteer coach Kaleigh Rafter. Rafter, who recently was named the head coach of the Canadian Softball National Team, won a bronze medal with Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Rafter said while she never personally met Bowden, she knows how influential of person he was for both the football team and the entire university.
“He was just an amazing guy who did so much for Florida State,” Rafter said. “He really put Florida State on the map. So, just to have that opportunity to celebrate him in any way you can is amazing.”
She said she hopes current and future athletes see his name and know how much he invested into his athletes.
“It was pretty spectacular how many lives he changed,” Rafter said. “It just truly goes beyond what we’ll ever be able to comprehend. Doing it for so long and at such an amazing level, which is pretty impactful for so many people.”
Whitaker, a local from Lynn Haven and former football player at A. Crawford Mosley High School, said Bowden was a huge person within his life and gave him his opportunity to play at FSU in 1995.
He said he used to be scared to talk to him since he was such a legend but recounts that Bowden always knew exactly what to say to players and what reassurance they needed in that moment.
“It’s funny, it was four or five years after at one of these golf functions, I didn’t make it into the league and I had all these honors,” Whitaker said. “He said, ‘Jason, don’t worry about it, you still had one of the best plays I ever had.’ I was struggling with not having made it and he comes up and he always knew what to say.”
Whitaker said if there is anything that current football coaches can take from Bowden's strategy, it is to remain authentic and stay true to their values.
“Not only did he walk the walk, but he talked the talk,” Whitaker said. “He was what you saw and he was always true to his word. When you get in there as a freshman and the first thing they tell you is ‘Faith, Family, Football,’ always in that order, so he always kept his life in that order.”
About 50 businesses and organizations in the area also supported the tournament through various sponsorships, with the proceeds from this year’s golf tournament going to support the FSU PC Promise Fund.
Hanna said Bowden was a longtime supporter of the FSU Panama City campus, as well as the tournament — even taking a small part in the last tournament in 2019, he said.
“Coach Bowden had such an impact on Florida State but also loved this area,” Hanna said. “He has a lot of friends here today and we’re honored to name this tournament after him.”
Andrews said seeing everyone come out to honor his longtime friend and co-worker means the world, proving the effect he had on athletes, students and faculty.
“He was a blessing to a lot of people, more so than everyone could have believed,” Andrews said. “You wouldn’t believe the impression he had on those kids.”