TALLAHASSEE - The day after he retires, the football field at Florida State will bear his name. Until then, Bobby Bowden's name will adorn an award honoring the college football player who best embodies the term student athlete.
The National Bobby Bowden Award, initiated by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, will be presented Jan. 3 in New Orleans, site of the Bowl Championship Series finale.
"It means I better watch out what I do," Bowden said with a laugh. "No, I appreciate them doing it. I didn't ask them to. They did it and I believe so much in the FCA that I would do anything I could to help further it.
"I think it's good. We award kids for this and we award kids for that, let's put character in there a little bit. Academics, athletics and character - the three parts of man. I think it's good we're doing that. I know they'll get some good young man who'll be very deserving of it and I hope that inspires other kids to want to get it."
Nominations were solicited from coaches at Division I-A, I-AA, II and III programs and 42 were received. FCA representatives at the four BCS games will pare the list to 10 and Bowden and four others will pick the three finalists who will be flown to New Orleans.
"From a son's standpoint, it's very deserving," FSU offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden said of the award. "His entire life he's led by an example; he's pretty much walked what he talked. That little bit of consistency's meant a lot in my life and I'm sure it has to a bunch of players who've come through here, so I'm honored for him."
CENTRAL FLORIDA: Former North Carolina defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable was hired as linebackers coach by new coach George O'Leary. Huxtable quit at North Carolina earlier this month following a 2-10 season.
EAST-WEST SHRINE GAME: Pittsburgh's Walt Harris and UNLV's John Robinson will replace LSU's Nick Saban and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops as coaches in the Jan. 10 game. Saban and Stoops withdrew because their schools will play in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4 for the BCS championship.
DEATH RULING: The Sept. 1 death of former Michigan State lineman Brian Ottney in Long Beach, Calif., has been ruled a suicide by ingestion of medication and alcohol. A coroners report noted Ottney had a history of depression.
- Information from Times wires was added to this report.
