Robert "Bob" Boswell
A Football Life
"Class"
"Class is a very hard thing to define. It could be the swing of a slugger's Bat, it could be the lift of a thoroughbred's hoof, it could be the flick of a quarterback's arm, but once you see it you never forget it" -Grantland Rice
"Bob Boswell was Class"
Class is the word that defines the life of the late Robert Arnold Boswell, and that description couldn't be more evident than in the way he approached his coaching career. The football Life of coach Boswell didn't begin and end in Kannapolis, though arguably many would say Kannapolis is where he pulled off his greatest coaching achievement, turning a program that hadn't seen a conference championship since 1960, and had only reached the post season playoffs once since 1971 into a consistent contender that was not only respected, but feared.
When Wonder assistant coach Pete Stone was hired to coach Boswell's first staff at A.L. Brown High School in 1976, the two men sat down in coach Boswell's office to lay out coach Boswell's vision of what he knew the Kannapolis football program could become. Coach Boswell stated "Stone, you eat first class, you travel first class, you act first class, you dress first class, you play first class, you win first class, but if you lose, you lose with class, and we're going to always make sure our players understand this" Coach Boswell demanded integrity and class not only among those who worked beside him, but by those who played for him as well. This became the foundation the Kannapolis football program would be built upon.
Having already been successful at two high school football programs by 1974, then working as an assistant under the great Lou Holtz for two years at North Carolina State University, coach Boswell's knowledge and experience made him the perfect candidate for taking on a challenge like Kannapolis, a town that took pride in their high school football team, but lacked in organizational structure. The formula to coach Boswell's success in his football life was simple, but effective. Have a vision, and then surrounding yourself with great people that will work together to achieve that vision. The late Vince Lombardi was once quoted as saying "People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society" and nobody was better at getting people to work together than coach Boswell. Coach Boswell's care in selecting dedicated and committed people who shared the same vision as he, allowed him to build the model football program at A.L. Brown High School, which set a standard that other coaches would seek to emulate for years to come. Coach Boswell's vision didn't just consist of building a winning program, but moreover shaping and building the character of the young men who played for him.
Coach Boswell's love and concern for those he coached went far beyond the football field. Coach Boswell was not just concerned in turning out quality athletes and winning teams, but also providing those athletes life experiences that would afford them the opportunity to see a world and a life that was possible outside the confines of a small mill town. Coach Boswell instilled in his players the desire to push further, dream further, and go further than they thought they were capable of doing. This is a theme that followed coach Boswell throughout his coaching career and lives as a testament through the lives of the many athletes who went on to do great things not only in football, but in life outside of football. Even those who did not pursue football after high school will tell you they are a much better person today having been under coach Boswell's tutelage. Nothing more can be said about coach Boswell that hasn't already been said many times over. Anything further on my part would just be a lame attempt at a half hearted segway into the life of a master craftsman, so we will just stick to the basic facts.
A 1955 graduate of Walter Williams High School in Burlington North Carolina, Coach Boswell received an A.B. in Social Studies from Elon College, and an M.E. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon completing his years of higher learning in 1959, coach Boswell's football life would take many roads and experience many changes, but the more things change, the more they stay the same, and coach Boswell would never compromise on the fundamental principles that helped shape the man he would become. Coach Boswell was more than just a football coach, he was a son, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a friend, a mentor, but more than anything else Bob Boswell was class!!
When Wonder assistant coach Pete Stone was hired to coach Boswell's first staff at A.L. Brown High School in 1976, the two men sat down in coach Boswell's office to lay out coach Boswell's vision of what he knew the Kannapolis football program could become. Coach Boswell stated "Stone, you eat first class, you travel first class, you act first class, you dress first class, you play first class, you win first class, but if you lose, you lose with class, and we're going to always make sure our players understand this" Coach Boswell demanded integrity and class not only among those who worked beside him, but by those who played for him as well. This became the foundation the Kannapolis football program would be built upon.
Having already been successful at two high school football programs by 1974, then working as an assistant under the great Lou Holtz for two years at North Carolina State University, coach Boswell's knowledge and experience made him the perfect candidate for taking on a challenge like Kannapolis, a town that took pride in their high school football team, but lacked in organizational structure. The formula to coach Boswell's success in his football life was simple, but effective. Have a vision, and then surrounding yourself with great people that will work together to achieve that vision. The late Vince Lombardi was once quoted as saying "People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society" and nobody was better at getting people to work together than coach Boswell. Coach Boswell's care in selecting dedicated and committed people who shared the same vision as he, allowed him to build the model football program at A.L. Brown High School, which set a standard that other coaches would seek to emulate for years to come. Coach Boswell's vision didn't just consist of building a winning program, but moreover shaping and building the character of the young men who played for him.
Coach Boswell's love and concern for those he coached went far beyond the football field. Coach Boswell was not just concerned in turning out quality athletes and winning teams, but also providing those athletes life experiences that would afford them the opportunity to see a world and a life that was possible outside the confines of a small mill town. Coach Boswell instilled in his players the desire to push further, dream further, and go further than they thought they were capable of doing. This is a theme that followed coach Boswell throughout his coaching career and lives as a testament through the lives of the many athletes who went on to do great things not only in football, but in life outside of football. Even those who did not pursue football after high school will tell you they are a much better person today having been under coach Boswell's tutelage. Nothing more can be said about coach Boswell that hasn't already been said many times over. Anything further on my part would just be a lame attempt at a half hearted segway into the life of a master craftsman, so we will just stick to the basic facts.
A 1955 graduate of Walter Williams High School in Burlington North Carolina, Coach Boswell received an A.B. in Social Studies from Elon College, and an M.E. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon completing his years of higher learning in 1959, coach Boswell's football life would take many roads and experience many changes, but the more things change, the more they stay the same, and coach Boswell would never compromise on the fundamental principles that helped shape the man he would become. Coach Boswell was more than just a football coach, he was a son, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a friend, a mentor, but more than anything else Bob Boswell was class!!
Walter Williams High School
1953-1955
Graham High School
1960-1967
The first stop in Coach Boswell's coaching career would lead him to Graham High School in 1960, where he was an assistant to then head coach George Heckman. While still an assistant to Heckman in 1965, the Graham Red Devils took the state 3A Football Championship. Boswell would take over as head coach in 1967, and in his first season led the Red Devils to a share of the Mid State 3A Conference Championship. Upon his departure from Graham at the conclusion of the 1967 varsity football season, he had amassed a combined 16-6-1 record.
T Wingate Andrews High School
1968-1973
The next stop in coach Boswell's coaching career would lead him to High Point North Carolina where he became the first ever head football coach of the Red Raiders at the newly opened T. Wingate Andrews High School. For six seasons at Andrews, coach Boswell led the Red Raiders to multiple conference championships. In 1972 his charges would take the state football championship in the 4A classification. At the end of his tenure at Andrews in 1973, coach Boswell had amassed a total 46-7-2 winning record. Coach Boswell is credited for mentoring several major college proteges while at Andrews including NC State legends Johnny Evans and Ted Brown, and Timmy Johnson.
Through the Looking Glass
"Slideshow"
North Carolina State University
1974-1975
A.L. Brown High School
1976-1988
In 1976, coach Boswell was hired as head football coach at A.L. Brown High School, the 11th head coach in the program's history. Coach Boswell's first two seasons in Kannapolis were tough rebuilding years that saw his charges record a 2-8 finish in 1976, and a 3-7 finish in 1977. His 1977 team would be the first Wonder team to venture into the 4A classification for the first time in it's history. Coach Boswell's 1978 team would record their first winning season since 1974, which ushered in a streak of 36 consecutive winning seasons for the program.
Coach Boswell's 1980 team with future NFL standouts Ethan Horton and Lance Smith were ranked 19th nationally in the associated press, and his 1982 team was ranked as high as 13th in the nation. His 1984 team was state runner-up. Coach Boswell finished his tenure at Brown in 1988 with a record of 102-37-1, with two conference championships in the 3A classification and 4 conference titles in the 4A classification. During coach Boswell's thirteen seasons at A.L. Brown, his teams put up 2995 points after 150 games giving up 1477 points.
Coach Boswell's 1980 team with future NFL standouts Ethan Horton and Lance Smith were ranked 19th nationally in the associated press, and his 1982 team was ranked as high as 13th in the nation. His 1984 team was state runner-up. Coach Boswell finished his tenure at Brown in 1988 with a record of 102-37-1, with two conference championships in the 3A classification and 4 conference titles in the 4A classification. During coach Boswell's thirteen seasons at A.L. Brown, his teams put up 2995 points after 150 games giving up 1477 points.
Through the Looking Glass
"Slideshow"
From the Desk of Head Coach Bob Boswell
"It's a New Day Gentlemen"
Becoming a Wonder Under Coach Bob Boswell??
"Things You Should Know"
Being an Assistant Coach for Coach Bob Boswell??
"Know Your Job"
Inside the Football Mind of Coach Bob Boswell
"Preparation"
Inside the Football Mind of Coach Bob Boswell
"The Xs and Os"
Inside the Football Mind of Coach Bob Boswell
"Gameplanning"
1979-1984
Inside the Football Mind of Coach Bob Boswell
"Gameplanning"
1985-1988
Classic Bob Boswell Clips on Friday Nights in K-Town
1983
1985
|
1986
|
Life After K-Town
Awards and Accolades
Friends in High Places
"Coach Boswell's Last Resume after 2007"
Community Tribute to Coach Robert "Bob" Boswell
On June 4, 2019 Coach Robert "Bob" Boswell passed away after several months of declining health, he was 82 years old. On June 11, 2019 a special memorial service for Coach Boswell was held in the Kannapolis Performing Arts Center on the campus of A.L. Brown High School for friends, and other persons wishing to pay their respects, who could not attend his funeral service earlier. There were many guest speakers in attendance, including former Concord head coach Mr E.Z. Smith III and coaches from A.L. Brown who spent many years by his side. Below is a five part segment of remarks made by one of Coach Boswell's best friends and coaching assistants Mr Pete Stone. These clips were recorded by the editor for Friday Nights in K-Town.
Part 1
Part 3
|
Part 2
Part 4
|
Part 5
|
|
Editor's Closing Thoughts
Friday Nights in K-Town would like to thank Rob and Lynn Boswell for donating the materials for this special tribute to coach Boswell from his personal archives. It would have been impossible to accomplish such a tribute without your assistance. Words can't express what an honor it was for me to create this tribute in his memory, and pay my respects to a man who in my estimation is the epitome of class. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the many hours spent going through these cherished memories of coach Boswell's, and hand selecting each item to share with the fans and supporters of this site. It would have been a disservice to all to have let these memories remain unseen and locked away in time.
Strange during all of this I could somehow hear coach Boswell saying to me that none of this was necessary, and that I was still giving him too much credit, but that's the coach Boswell I remember. Coach Boswell was always quick to give credit to those around him who contributed to the success he enjoyed as a football coach, and through all of his accomplishments on the field, his biggest triumphs took place in the lives of those he touched on a much more personal level. This tribute does very little in the way of painting the complete portrait of the the late coach Bob Boswell. For those of us on the outside looking in, this is only a brief glimpse into one facet of his life, the football Life. To his family and close friends who knew him best, he was so much more than just a football figure.
It is my hope that this feature will somehow serve as a fitting tribute and homage to the man who was without a doubt responsible for putting Kannapolis football into the mainstream consciousness of the high school football community not only in the state of North Carolina, but nationwide. If it were not for coach Boswell's vision, and diligence in making the Kannapolis football program one of the benchmark programs in the state, Kannapolis football would not have become the attractive proposition it became to other quality head coaches who followed in his footsteps like Bruce Hardin, Ron Massey and Mike Newsome. It's my hope that one day I will be able to walk into the house that "Bob" built and cheer on the Wonders inside the hallowed grounds of Kannapolis Memorial Stadium at "Coach Bob Boswell Field" That my friends would be a fitting tribute, and a well deserved one at that!! -The editor
Strange during all of this I could somehow hear coach Boswell saying to me that none of this was necessary, and that I was still giving him too much credit, but that's the coach Boswell I remember. Coach Boswell was always quick to give credit to those around him who contributed to the success he enjoyed as a football coach, and through all of his accomplishments on the field, his biggest triumphs took place in the lives of those he touched on a much more personal level. This tribute does very little in the way of painting the complete portrait of the the late coach Bob Boswell. For those of us on the outside looking in, this is only a brief glimpse into one facet of his life, the football Life. To his family and close friends who knew him best, he was so much more than just a football figure.
It is my hope that this feature will somehow serve as a fitting tribute and homage to the man who was without a doubt responsible for putting Kannapolis football into the mainstream consciousness of the high school football community not only in the state of North Carolina, but nationwide. If it were not for coach Boswell's vision, and diligence in making the Kannapolis football program one of the benchmark programs in the state, Kannapolis football would not have become the attractive proposition it became to other quality head coaches who followed in his footsteps like Bruce Hardin, Ron Massey and Mike Newsome. It's my hope that one day I will be able to walk into the house that "Bob" built and cheer on the Wonders inside the hallowed grounds of Kannapolis Memorial Stadium at "Coach Bob Boswell Field" That my friends would be a fitting tribute, and a well deserved one at that!! -The editor