Bobby Bowden

BOBBY BOWDEN NAMED ALABAMA FOOTBALL LEGEND

MONTGOMERY – Former Howard College and Florida State head coach and Alabama native Bobby Bowden is the inaugural recipient of the Alabama Football Legend Award, presented by Regions Bank.

“We are pleased to have Coach Bobby Bowden as the first Alabama Football Legend for the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, executive director Johnny Williams said. “We are very appreciative of Coach Bowden for his service to college football and very appreciate to Regions Bank for their sponsorship of this annual award.”

Bowden will be honored at the 2014 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl luncheon, which will be held Friday, Dec. 19 at the Renaissance Hotel. Tickets for the luncheon are on sale through the Camellia Bowl website (www.camelliabowl.com).

“Nothing that you receive is any higher honor than when it comes from the state of Alabama,” Bowden said. “That is where I was raised. I am really happy and pleased the Camellia Bowl has selected me for this honor. I really appreciate them selecting me, especially me being form Alabama and having an award coming from the capital city of Montgomery. It sits pretty high with me.”

Bowden compiled a 377-129-4 (.743) in 44 seasons at Howard College (now Samford), West Virginia and Florida State. He led the Seminoles two National Championships (1993 and 1999) and 12 ACC titles in his career. Bowden won the 1991 Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award. He won the 2011 Amos Alonzo Stagg Award for his outstanding service and contributions to college football.

He attended Woodlawn High School in Birmingham and then spent one season as freshman quarterback at the University of Alabama in 1948. Bowden then transferred to Howard College (now Samford) and played quarterback and running back from 1949-52. He also served as offensive coordinator at Howard in 1954-55 and head coach from 1959-62.

“If you live in Alabama and are raised in Alabama, you are going to have a desire to succeed in whatever you get into, but especially athletics. With Alabama, Auburn, Samford and other state schools and all the success they have had it gives you a good background, a good spring board. I feel like it helped me a lot.”

The 2014 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl will be played on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 8:15 p.m. (CDT). The game will be televised by ESPN. The Raycom Media Camellia Bowl will be the last of five bowl games to air on ESPN networks on the opening day of the college football bowl season.

Tickets to the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl are on sale via the internet www.espnevents.com/camellia-bowl/tickets/. Tickets are $25 for reserved seats and $20 for general admission seating.