Former Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden has has had pigs named after him, but a daughter? That's a first for the coaching legend.
Samantha Ponder, an ESPN reporter and the wife of Vikings QB Christian Ponder, recently gave birth to the couple's first child -- a daughter named Bowden Sainte-Claire, in honor of Bobby Bowden. The former Seminoles head coach expressed his appreciation for the gesture in an interview with the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
"I've never had a girl named after me," Bowden said, per the report. "I've had everything else I can think of. I've had horses, I've had dogs, I've even had pigs. I've had a lot of things named after me but this is the first time I've had a girl, a daughter."
The Florida State team chaplain reportedly called Bowden last week to give him the news.
"I appreciated it very much," Bowden said. "I coached his daddy (defensive lineman David Ponder from 1980-83 at Florida State) and I coached (Christian). We were always very close. He has a lovely wife. I'm thrilled. There's not much else I can say."
Christian Ponder played for the Seminoles from 2006-2010 (he redshirted in 2006), spending the first four of those seasons playing for Bowden before becoming a first-round pick of the Vikings in 2011. Bowden retired from coaching in 2009 with 377 career victories, including two national championships (1993 and '99).
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