CLEMSON -- Tommy Bowden walked into his father's Tallahassee, Fla. headquarters four years ago accompanied by a young assistant with an uncommon name. On a brief respite during a recruiting trip, Bowden hugged his father and introduced Clemson receivers coach Dabo Swinney, whom he had unearthed from the commercial real estate business. After a brief greeting, Bowden surprised the star-struck Swinney by leaving him alone at the desk of the man who had built the Florida State program. The meeting was akin to an aspiring musician chatting with the Beatles. "I'm just sitting there; I don't know what to say," Swinney said. "I was just kind of in awe. It was one of those things I'll never forget." The 20-minute conversation revealed common ground. They were born at the same Birmingham, Ala., hospital nearly 40 years apart. Bobby Bowden will turn 80 Sunday; Swinney will turn 40 later this month. The Bowden patriarch graduated from the same high school as Swinney's mother.