By Chris Walsh
VALDOSTA — Fanfare kicked off for the South Georgia Classic Wednesday, as former Auburn head coach and ABC college football analyst Terry Bowden did his Orlando-based radio show from right here in Valdosta.
Bowden talked live from Kinderlou Forest Golf Club after setting up in the upstairs office of club pro Jim Bishop.
“I have not seen this place yet. It’s wonderful and has some great potential,” said Bowden during one of his off-air breaks. “There’s either great wealth or great debt here. Those are some beautiful houses.
“It just reminds me of the great Georgia and Alabama courses. I look forward to the opportunity to play it sometime.”
Bowden was in town to attend The Gathering of Eagles of Valdosta Technical College, in which he spoke about team work and leadership. The meeting was attended by local business owners looking to pick up tips on how to improve their own businesses.
“It’s great, Valdosta getting the businesses together and bringing in speakers to talk about leadership,” said Bowden. “They can take notes and go out and share with each other and the community.”
Steven Little and former Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Andy Russell were also on hand for the event.
“I have enjoyed my time up here. Andy Russell was one of my heroes growing up, and it was a pleasure getting to speak next to him,” said Bowden.
During the college football off-season, Bowden travels the country doing many public speaking events. While on the road, he can still do his radio show that airs in the Orlando and Tampa areas. He also writes a column for the Yahoo sports website.
“As a football coach, it’s natural to talk about teamwork and leadership,” said Bowden. “As an analyst for college football, I find myself writing and doing talk radio as well. I’m the guy we hated.”
As a former college coach and college student, Bowden understands the business world from college to the real world. He applies both in his speeches and seminars.
“Why in the world I got a business and accounting degree knowing I wanted to go into coaching, I don’t know. But it was critical to get a business background,” said Bowden. “I went to law school, but never wanted to be a lawyer. It gave me a lot of communication skills and writing skills I never would have learned with an accounting major.”
With Valdosta State University having such a large business school, Coach Bowden gave his advice to students who might be looking for a career in the business world.
“One, you can never get enough education. It’s just invaluable. You never know how important it’s going to be until you go out there and you either have it or you don’t have it,” said Bowden. “The other thing, the most important thing whether you are in Valdosta or anywhere in the world, is to think big. It takes big dreams, and I think the greatest thing a young business student at VSU or wanting to go to VSU is to make big plans.
“You never know where it’s gonna lead. For myself, from coaching to doing the television show in Times Square on the jumbo-tron in New York. You have to just think big and have big dreams.”
Though Bowden has been content with being on air, the fire to coach again is starting to burn. By the way he carries himself in conversation, his passion to coach again started to arise.
“I’ll stay busy doing this for the off-season, but I’m really looking at the possibility of getting back into coaching. I haven’t done that for eight years,” said Bowden. “I’ve been very much involved, but I’m looking very much at broadcasting this year and coming out and looking closely at what jobs start to come up in October or November.
“The possibility of putting my name out there in a hat for the first time, I haven’t decided. There’s a good chance I’ll get back into coaching. I’m 50. If I don’t go back, I’ll never go back.”
Of course, however, Bowden couldn’t leave Valdosta without giving his thoughts on the SEC. As a former Auburn Tiger, Bowden has tremendous knowledge about what he calls, “The best conference in America.”
“Florida’s got enough people coming back that you just have to pick them. That being said, the usual suspects are there. I covered the Hula Bowl and talked to (Georgia coach) Mark Richt. They’re not going to sit back and let Florida win it every year,” said Bowden. “Tennessee is having an incredible recruiting season. On the other side, LSU is loaded again. I’d say LSU and Auburn again are the teams you have to contend with over there.”
As the rest of Bowden’s radio team is in Miami for the Super Bowl, he is traveling to Orlando and San Jose. Since his team is at the big game, who does he think is going to win?
“It’s very interesting in itself that the fact that the SEC has not been known for putting out the top quarterbacks in the NFL, yet you’ve got what many consider the best quarterback and the new young gun in the Super Bowl,” said Bowden. “On the basis of analyzing those two, I do believe you know what you are going to get with Peyton Manning. I think you’ll find the fun comes with trying to decide what Rex (Grossman) will do.
“I think the keys to the game will be if the Colts can stop the Bears’ running attack. Can the Colts shut down the running game of the Bears? The biggest unknown is still Grossman. I’m gonna be one of the many and say the Colts will win because they have the more veteran, stable quarterback. It’s not a genius who goes out and picks that one.”
Coach Terry Bowden can be seen on ABC during the college football season, and you can read his articles on the Yahoo sports Web site. And in 2008, you may even see him on the sidelines again.
