Also included in the investigators' report were allegations that FSU head coach Bobby Bowden received a phone call from a former Seminole, now in the NFL, who allegedly told Bowden that he suspected McPherson had thrown Florida State's Nov. 23 game against N.C. State. The Seminoles lost the game, 17-7, and McPherson completed only 8 of 20 passes for 80 yards and ran the ball seven times for two yards in the game.
The identity of the former FSU player who made the phone call was not released.
There is no concrete evidence that McPherson may have bet against FSU, but his cell phone records do indicate that he called the online booking company twice on Nov. 18, 2002 and twice more on Nov. 20?-just three days before the game.
Investigators stated that Bowden acknowledged in a November 2002 interview that he received the former player's phone call following the N.C. State game. Bowden was interviewed a second time as the investigation continued into 2003. A transcript of the second interview, held Jan. 14, 2003, revealed a reversal of position by Bowden. He is quoted as stating under oath that "I can't even recall a pro or former pro or former player calling me ... I guess I've had so many calls between now and then, I can't even hardly put my finger on what it was about."
