OB Bowen, the heart and soul of USM football passed away this morning. OB started working with the USM football team in 1973 and retired in 2015. He was a man who was so full of love for everyone and he touched many people in his years at USM. He will be so terribly missed. Here is video from when he retired in 2015...

RIP OB.

(01-07-2018 03:26 PM)usmbacker Wrote:  OB Bowen, the heart and soul of USM football passed away this morning. OB started working with the USM football team in 1973 and retired in 2015. He was a man who was so full of love for everyone and he touched many people in his years at USM. He will be so terribly missed. Here is video from when he retired in 2015...

Very sorry to hear that.

Nice tribute.

My favorite OB story, That can be shared here.....
OB's family owned a local bank in Richton MS and were truly Southern Miss people.

The family always kept Money in the football office. OB would be given money, thinking he was being paid.

The first day on the job for Curley Hallman he found the box of cash in his desk drawer. He had met OB but had not been informed of the arrangements. Hallman went screaming to the AD's office because he had been ensured that we had no current NCAA problems. " You sob's forgot to tell me you were playing players"

Cocktails!

RIP OB

Condolences from a La Tech fan. These passionate folks (that each of our Universities have) are the ones who inspire the rest of us, to do our part as alumni, and as fans.

Thoughts and prayers for the family.

RIP

Can someone give us his background ? Thx in advance

Also, any more good stories would be appreciated

(01-08-2018 09:37 AM)KAjunRaider Wrote:  RIP

Can someone give us his background ? Thx in advance

Also, any more good stories would be appreciated

One I saw yesterday...

(01-08-2018 09:37 AM)KAjunRaider Wrote:  RIP

Can someone give us his background ? Thx in advance

Also, any more good stories would be appreciated

Here's a couple more articles

http://www.southernmiss.com/sports/m-foo...16aaa.html

http://www.studentprintz.com/bowen-true-...ss-legend/

and probably one of the best quotes about OB: "If you go the 40(-plus) years that O.B. has been around here, all those players and coaches that have come through here, the one thing that they all would remember would be O.B.," Golden Eagle legend and NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre said in 2016.

Team should wear a patch on their jerseys or a helmet sticker next year

"OB"

(01-08-2018 02:58 PM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  Team should wear a patch on their jerseys or a helmet sticker next year

"OB"

Considering Hopson has been here before so he's known OB for many years that's a very good possibility. I wanna say that we wore helmet stickers the game he was honored for retiring so it can easily be done.

Loved the video tribute to OB. Especially the part where he told Coach Collins he was "in charge of the Kicking game". A little confused, Collins asked him, "so you're in charge of the kicking game?" and OB responded, "yep, I'm in charge of kicking Ole Miss and Miss State's tails".

RIP OB.

(01-08-2018 03:29 PM)usm99 Wrote:  

(01-08-2018 02:58 PM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  Team should wear a patch on their jerseys or a helmet sticker next year

"OB"

Considering Hopson has been here before so he's known OB for many years that's a very good possibility. I wanna say that we wore helmet stickers the game he was honored for retiring so it can easily be done.

Counting Hop, OB worked for 9 head coaches going back to the late 70's.

Was reminded of another "B" story tonight. Back in the early 80's we were playing at North texas. The trainer or equipment guy was always looking out for B on trips.
Our 2 radio guys, the head trainer and B always went out to eat together the night before a road game.
The group was sitting in a pizza hut in Denton. They had finished eating and were talking. A young couple on a date were sitting across from them. The couple had one slice of pizza left. B watched as long as he could. Finally he made a lunge, grabbed the pizza and at the same time came out with. Yallgonnaeatthat?

With OB’s main responsibility at practice being blowing the horn (aka....blow it up B) to change periods and go to the next drill, every now and then players would try and bribe OB to blow the horn early. Injuried players who would be rehabbing injuries would do light jogging during practice. While in the stadium one day one of the injured players who was running the steps snuck up behind OB, took the air horn, blew it and hid while kneeling down behind the wall on the front row (OB was sitting in a chair on the field against the wall). Coach Bower looks over at OB with that “what the heck OB, there’s still 15 minutes left in this period.” The look on OB’s face was priceless trying to figure out what the heck happened as well and he says “don’t know, musta blown on its own.”

OB padded up for senior hit day once. I think it was adailias thomas that blew him up.

Back in 81 we didnt travel as comfortable for road games as we do now. We had just tied Bama at Legion field and were on the way home.
B was in one of those 15 passenger vans loaded with cheerleaders and asst coach Bootsie Larson driving. Bootsie thought he smelled a particular bad odor and several of the girls were making faces. Bootsie looked in the back and said B, did you do that??? B replied COULDNT HEP IT

(01-07-2018 03:26 PM)usmbacker Wrote:  OB Bowen, the heart and soul of USM football passed away this morning. OB started working with the USM football team in 1973 and retired in 2015. He was a man who was so full of love for everyone and he touched many people in his years at USM. He will be so terribly missed. Here is video from when he retired in 2015...

RIP