Legendary Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, said Wednesday that, after being hospitalized, he was driven to beat his fight against the coronavirus because he wanted to be alive to vote for President Donald Trump.
Bowden, 91, was admitted to the hospital earlier this month after testing positive for the coronavirus and experiencing symptoms.
“I want to thank all the many, many people who were thinking of and praying for me over the last few weeks. I just went through a battle with Covid-19, and God just wasn’t ready to take me Home yet to be with Him,” Bowden said in a statement. “Most of you know I’m 91 years old, and the fight was tough. But thanks to the help of Dr. Michael Forsthoefel, and the support of Ann and all my children, I beat It.”
“I’ve had the chance to get a lot of wins In my life, but I really wanted to win this one because I wanted to be around to vote for President Trump,” Bowden said. “I have always said that the only thing you can take to Heaven with you Is your kids, and for 71 years of marriage, Ann and I have tried to live our lives and share our Christian Faith with them so that one day we will all be there together.”
“But until that time, we are here on earth, and America Is the greatest country this side of heaven. We have the freedom to pursue our faith in God our dreams for our career, and our love for our families. For too long now, politicians in Washington have run America down and apologized for our greatness. I’m tired of it,” Bowden continued. “Like President Trump, I had the opportunity to be treated for Covid-19 with drugs to include Remdesivir. At the age of 91, in many other countries, I might not have even been treated. In America, I was.”
“The one thing that all of us parents and grandparents can do for our children and grandchildren in these next couple of weeks is vote,” Bowden concluded. “We have to get out and vote for President Trump because re-electing him Is our only chance to leave the next generation with the same heritage, beliefs, and opportunities that Ann and I had and that many of you had. There are about 45 of us Bowdens around. Most of us live in Florida, and I promise you that almost all of us will be voting for Trump, and the ones that don’t won’t be telling me about it. So please, take the time, dadgumit, for the sake of our children and grandchildren, to Keep America Great and vote for Donald Trump.”
Bowden is one of the most beloved college football coaches in history, known for his personality and the dominance of his teams at Florida State, where he won 377 games and two national championships.
Former #FSU head coach Bobby Bowden has released a statement on beating COVID-19: pic.twitter.com/njfjmwFBnR
— Logan B. Robinson (@LogansTwitty) October 21, 2020