An all-time great college football coach said he “wanted to win” his fight with the coronavirus so he could cast his vote for President Trump.
Former Florida State University football coach Bobby Bowden, 91, was released from a hospital in Tallahassee, Florida, last week following a severe bout with the coronavirus. On Thursday, Bowden said he willed his way through it to help reelect the president.
“I’ve had a 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.
Florida has been a regional hot spot for the coronavirus, a virus more difficult to treat in elderly patients. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has been criticized for his rush to reopen the state. More than 750,000 cases of the virus have been recorded in the state, and over 16,000 people have died from complications related to the disease, according to the latest figures from the New York Times.
Bowden’s illness comes as University of Florida football coach Dan Mullen tested positive for the coronavirus, just a week after he pushed to fill the football stadium during a home game against Louisiana State University.
Bowden thanked “all the many, many people” who prayed for him over the last few weeks, and he said, “God just wasn’t ready to take [him] home yet.”
“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,” Bowden said in a statement released by his son, former Clemson University football coach Tommy Bowden.
Bowden’s 357 victories as a Division I NCAA football coach rank him second in all-time wins to former Pennsylvania State University football coach Joe Paterno.
