TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Bobby Bowden’s cancer diagnosis gives three filmmakers a greater sense of purpose. Their film, released just four years ago, re-traces Coach Bowden’s journey to FSU and the impact he had on thousands.
When you ask the filmmakers behind the documentary, “The Bowden Dynasty” about Coach Bowden, they will tell you he made everybody feel special. They said there is truly nobody like Coach Bowden.
These ideas were shared by many over the years. When the group set out to tell Bowden’s story in 2015, they kept this idea in mind:
“I wanted to let him discuss his faith, family and football in that order. That really appealed to him,” explained executive producer, John Corry. “His legacy isn’t the number of games won or what kind of coach he was. His legacy is that he served God’s purpose for his life. We were looking to tell his story as honestly as we could.”
Corry is an FSU grad himself. He said Bowden’s book detailing his childhood and faith inspired him to get a team of his own together.
“When I read that I just thought someday I really wanted to bring that to life,” said Corry.
Corry collaborated with directors Brian Goodwin and Rob Harvell on the project.
“I grew up a North Carolina Tar Heel fan. All I knew about Coach Bowden was that he beat the Tar Heels every year,” shared Harvell. “When I met Coach Bowden, he’s literally the greatest person I’ve ever met.”
Goodwin went on to say, “you knew you were in the presence of somebody cool who had done so many great things in his life. Just the fact that he was so humble. He recognized you when you came back in the room.”
Working some days from sunup to sundown, they said Bowden was as much a team player as the whole crew. The legendary coach left a lasting impression on them that was not loss when Bowden confirmed his terminal illness in late July.
“I had known about it for a couple weeks,” shared Corry. “It’s just great to see people sharing so much love on social media.”
Now, the crew hopes their film will help reach more family, friends and fans for generations to come.
“To be the caretaker of that, I’m just honored,” said Corry. “I’m surprised nobody did it before me.”
Corry also said his team is in talks with a distributor to get their documentary on a streaming platform soon. He said some of the money made from streaming will go back to Seminole Boosters and the FSU LIFT recovery program.
