Bill Peterson pulled FSU up by the chin strap from a wanna-be program to a college football powerhouse. He hired assistants who would go on to coach Super Bowl teams. And he made the Noles' offense the most exciting of its time.
His teams were the first to beat the Gators. First to win a major bowl game. First to finish in the Top 25 (#11 in 1964). "Coach Pete" even planted the seeds of a future dynasty when he added a young Bobby Bowden to his staff.
In 1993, Peterson lost his battle with cancer. Fortunately, he left a namesake who was there for FSU's coming out party. Listen as Bill Peterson, Jr. — today an assistant coach at Shorter College in Georgia — recalls how his Dad put Florida State on the college football map. And almost beat "The Bear."
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