Coaching legend Bobby Bowden now has his own day in the state of Florida, along with its first Medal of Freedom.
Gov. Ron DeSantis made Bowden the inaugural recipient of the medal during a Wednesday afternoon at the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee.
Bowden has a statue outside the Doak Campbell Stadium, a field inside named for him and a bust in the College Football Hall of Fame following a career with 377 wins, including national championships with the 1993 and 1999 Seminoles.
Bowden, using a cane, stepped to the podium and joked about the award, “What took you so long?