Saint Bobby and the Barbarians - Hardcover

Saint Bobby and the Barbarians is the compelling story of a year in the life of a legendary coach and a leading college football team, as well as the first truly inside look at big-time college football. With the complete cooperation of Bowden himself, author Ben Brown's unprecedented access to all aspects of the FSU program has helped him create an intimate portrait of how a top college coach steers his athletes and associates through the perils of a competitive schedule. Bobby Bowden - who turned the Seminoles into one of the best teams in the nation without a hint of the scandal that plagues so many other programs - preferred the role of underdog for motivating his troops. How would he keep his favored team psyched for the less challenging competitors? How far could he push young players who must balance schoolwork against their pro ambitions and must often play with excruciating physical pain? What could Bowden do to insulate them from the pressure of demanding fans and boosters? In week twelve of the season, the No. 1-rated Seminoles hosted arch rival Miami for what some writers were calling the Game of the Century. But a loss in the game's closing seconds dashed the hopes of Seminoles players and coaches alike. By season's end, star quarterback Casey Weldon would forfeit any reasonable chance he might have had to win the Heisman Trophy; star running back Amp Lee would face academic expulsion; Eric Turral would be suspended from the squad for skipping practice; and offensive tackle Kevin Mancini would fight a potentially career-ending knee injury. Bobby Bowden's early fear would turn out to have been more than justified. As an intimate journey into the mind of Coach Bowden himself, Saint Bobby and the Barbarians is much more than the anatomy of a season. It is an insightful look at the impact today's top college sports teams can have on all whose lives they touch.

Ben Brown, a Florida native, has been a reporter, feature writer, columnist, and editor since the mid-1970s. He has worked on the staff of USA Today since its inception in 1982 and has since written about media, outdoor recreation, and sports. Brown lives in Washington, DC.