1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Robert Cleckler ( Bobby ) Bowden Congressional Gold Medal Act . 2. Findings The Congress finds the following: (1) Robert Cleckler ( Bobby ) Bowden was born on November 8, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama. (2) Bobby Bowden served as head coach of the Florida State University Seminoles from 1976 to 2009. (3) While coaching at the Florida State University, Bobby Bowden’s teams won two national championships (1993 and 1999) and 12 Atlantic Coast Conference titles. (4) Bobby Bowden posted a 316–97–4 record in his 34 years at Florida State University. (5) Throughout his entire 44 years of coaching college football, Bobby Bowden won a total of 377 games, making him one of the winningest coaches in college football history. (6) Bobby Bowden and wife, Ann Estock, his childhood sweetheart, have been married for 72 years. The couple has six children, 21 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. (7) In 1999, he coached what would be the first of many games against a team coached by his son, The Bowden Bowl . This event was the first of its kind in the history of Division I–A football. (8) In 2004, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ organization began presenting an annual The National Bobby Bowden Award to a football player for philanthropic work. (9) In 2011, he was awarded the Children’s Champion Award for Leadership Development by the Children’s Hunger Fund, a charitable organization, in recognition of his humanitarian work. (10) In 2021, Bobby Bowden received the inaugural Florida Governor’s Medal of Freedom Award. (11) Bobby Bowden leaves a legacy of leadership for his contributions on the football field and in his community. (12) While Bobby Bowden is recognized for his many football accomplishments, he will be remembered as a family man who counted all as part of his family and encouraged us all to recognize our own humanity and love our many brothers and sisters. (13) We are better for having known him, even if we never met him. He stood for our best, recognized our failings,