Florida Atlantic University Athletics

Hall of Fame 2019 - As Viewed by a Former FAU Student
10/14/2019 8:09:00 PM | General
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Brittany Bowe is a medal-winning Olympic speed skater, a decorated college basketball player, and as of last week, a Florida Atlantic University Athletics Hall of Famer.
But through all her achievements, she's still a passionate FAU fan at heart.
"I have Alfred Morris' [No.] 46 [Washington] Redskins jersey that I embarrassingly did not bring here, but I should have, to get an autograph on that thing," Bowe said.
Bowe's fandom wasn't anomalous among the 2019 Hall of Fame class; it was palpable in several other inductees, too – including Morris himself.
Morris, a seven-year NFL veteran and two-time Pro Bowler, has rushed for 34 touchdowns and 5,931 yards over his professional career.
That didn't stop him from wearing a t-shirt with FAU football coach Lane Kiffin's face on it on Saturday, when his Owls defeated Middle Tennessee. Nor does it keep him from throwing up Owls' fingers every time he reaches the end zone.
"I always wanted to be a part of making history at a school – not just being a part of the history," said Morris, who was among the eight inductees honored at halftime of Saturday's game.
He did exactly that with the Owls.
Morris played in the inaugural season of FAU Stadium in 2011 and, before that, helped guide the program to its first two bowl games.
Back then, he remembers, FAU didn't have much name recognition outside of South Florida. But standouts like himself and quarterback Rusty Smith put the Owls on the national stage.
Howard Schnellenberger, the architect of FAU football, believes FAU fans are "indebted to them for eternity" as a result.
"They were the two best players to come through here and are probably going to be the two best players to ever come through here," he said.
Like Bowe and Morris, Smith remains an avid FAU fan. He goes to at least one game a year, usually the Middle Tennessee or Western Kentucky road contests, which are closer to his home in Tennessee. And if he can't be there in person, Smith follows the TV and radio broadcasts religiously.
But while Smith consumes FAU's games like the average fan, his place in history is anything but.
A 2010 draft pick of the Tennessee Titans – the first FAU player ever selected by an NFL team – Smith is the Owls' all-time leader in passing touchdowns (76) and yards (10,112).
But Smith hopes that won't last much longer. Because in his view, each broken record marks an improvement off the foundation he built.
"When he does continue to break some of those records, it's going to be a testament of how the team is doing, and the success of the team on the field – and that means we're winning," Smith said of FAU quarterback Chris Robison.
Bowe watched Smith and Morris' record-setting run first-hand as an FAU student-athlete in the late 2000's. And while she didn't get her Morris jersey signed at the Hall of Fame ceremony, being there alongside him and some of the greatest names in FAU sports history was quite the consolation prize.
"To know that I've left a legacy, and my name will forever be in these books is an honor, and I'm humbled," Bowe said. "And it's great to come back here to see the changes, and the advances that the school has made. It's incredible, and it makes me so incredibly proud to say I'm an Owl, and this is where it all started."
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