HOT CORNER

What: “Beyond the Glory.�

When: Sunday, 7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Net; 10:30 p.m., Fox Sports Net 2.

As a youngster in Birmingham, Ala., Bobby Bowden loved Alabama football. And as an outstanding high school quarterback, he earned a scholarship to play for the Crimson Tide.

So how did Bowden end up coaching Florida State? That question is among those answered in this installment of “Beyond the Glory.�

Yes, there has been glory in Bowden’s career, including two national championships. But there have also been blemishes. At one point, former Florida Coach Steve Spurrier said FSU stood for Free Shoe U., a reference to players getting free and discounted sports apparel. There have been other scandals. And there have been field goals missed, notably wide right against Miami. It’s all included.

But the show focuses on the positive side of a charismatic, successful coach who is starting his 28th season at Florida State.

As a player, he spent only one year in Tuscaloosa. He quit the team when he lost his scholarship after getting married. At the time, Alabama had a policy against players being married.

“As I look back,� Bowden says, “that was the one thing that I gave up ... I quit. All my life I’ve wondered, ‘What would have happened had I stayed?’ �

In 1976, Bowden inherited a Florida State football program that was in such disarray that school officials were considering dropping the sport. He has 259 victories with the Seminoles and no immediate plans to retire.

-- Larry Stewart