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Samford to name football field after Bobby Bowden

Samford University's football field will soon be named after Bobby Bowden.

The school said that it will dedicate the field at F. Page Seibert Stadium in honor of Bowden on Sep. 25. The legendary college football coach died at the age of 91 in August and members of his family will be in attendance at the dedication.

"What Bobby Bowden has meant to Samford University is immeasurable," Samford athletic director Martin Newton said in a statement. "He was always one of our university's greatest ambassadors, and we are excited to be able to honor him with the naming of Bobby Bowden Field at Seibert Stadium. We are also honored that members of the Bowden family can be here for this special occasion. Their presence will make this day mean even more to our entire university."

While Bowden is most known for the success he had at Florida State, Bowden's college football career began at Samford.

Bowden played quarterback and running back at Samford from 1949-52. He was an assistant coach with the team for two seasons before he got his first head coaching job at South Georgia State College in 1956. After three seasons at South Georgia State coaching multiple sports, Bowden returned to Samford and was the team’s head coach for four seasons before he left for an assistant coaching job at Florida State.

Samford — known then as Howard College — was 31-6 in Bowden’s four years as head coach. Bowden became the head coach at West Virginia after his assistant tenure at Florida State and then returned to Tallahassee where he was FSU’s coach from 1976-2009 and became one of the most successful college football coaches in history.

Samford's football field will be the second field named after Bowden. Florida State named its field at Doak Campbell Stadium in honor of Bowden in 2004.