‘There was a standard’: Norvell hoping to bring back Bowden standard to Tallahassee

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - With the excitement and intrigue that came with ACC Kickoff last week also came the unfortunate and sobering news of legendary coach Bobby Bowden’s bout with pancreatic cancer.

An outpouring of support surrounded Bowden from Charlotte: Mark Richt, Mack Brown, E.J. Manuel and Dabo Swinney all expressed their well wishes and spoke extensively about how much Bowden meant to them and to the fabric of college football.

Current FSU head coach Mike Norvell may be relatively new to Tallahassee but he, too, understands the standard Bowden set and what it means to be a Seminole.

Bowden is a giant in college football. He brought the Seminoles from near irrelevance to national prominence in over three decades at the helm, leaving his mark as one of the best to ever do it.

Now in Tallahassee is Norvell, who looks back on the Bowden days with admiration, understanding fully what set those teams apart.

“Passion. Relationships. The way that they played together on offense, defense, and special teams. They played for something bigger than themselves,” Norvell said. “There was a standard in how they showed up each and every day and trying to be the best version of who they were and what they represented.”

Norvell knows it goes much deeper than that: Speaking to what Bowden accomplished off the field and his distinct impact on shaping young men, longing to pattern this current Seminole program after the legend who came before him.

”It’s not just about who they were and the jersey number they wore, it’s the impact that they made. That was the standard and that was the expectation from Coach Bowden and their staffs. It came down to work and it came down to relationships. That’s why they were able to play to the level that they did. That’s what we’re working to build here with our program.”

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