Billy Smith, bodyguard, septuagenarian, treasure.

Smith was inducted into FSU’s hall of fame in 2006. He hasn’t spoken with Bowden’s successor, Clarksburg native Jimbo Fisher, about staying. Money won’t be an issue. In 1964, then-Seminoles Coach Bill Peterson asked Smith if he’d like to be the protector. Peterson, Smith and the governor agreed to a salary of $0. Smith jokes he inserted a clause that’s doubled his pay every year since.

Once, many, many years ago, Bowden received a death threat. Smith made a phone call and had 132 South Carolina law enforcement agents prepared to help protect his guy.

“I’ll never forget that,” Bowden said. “It looked like there were 1,000 of them how they lined up like that. I asked Billy what all those guys were doing there and he said they were making sure we got to the bus, but I never realized how serious it was until then. It’s nice to know you’ve got somebody like that watching out for you.”