Bo Rein

[Zach Williams]

I’m a forum newbie who wanted to share my wonderful experience researching one of your own: Robert “Bo” Rein. My recently published (65 chapter, 335 pp) book FORTY MINUTES TO BATON ROUGE: The Story of Robert “Bo” Rein is the first and only book to be written about the about the Niles, Ohio native who had great success in Columbus playing football and baseball for the Buckeyes. For those who don’t know, Bo Rein tragically died at age 34 on the evening of January 10, 1980 when his twin engine Cessna 441 plunged 40,000 feet into the Atlantic Ocean off the Virginia coast, after a 1000 mile “ghost flight” across four states. Rein, the newly hired LSU head football coach, had only been on the job 42 days when the unthinkable happened while returning from a recruiting trip in Louisiana. Twenty years later, we would be reminded of Rein when professional golfer Payne Stewart suffered a similar fate.

Mentored by the likes of Woody Hayes, Lou Holtz and Frank Broyles, there seemed to be nothing that would stop Rein’s ascension to the top. Lured away from NC State by Louisiana State University, Rein was destined for stardom.

The fact that Rein never actually coached a day at LSU muddies the emotional waters and creates an unfortunate chasm between those who knew him and those who never got the chance. At LSU, the sadness resembled a new friend they had just met and abruptly lost. For NC State, the loss was devastation and utter disbelief. And for Ohioans...they had lost a beloved son.

I would be honored to answer any questions about Bo via this forum or the website below.


FORTY MINUTES TO BATON ROUGE: The Story of Robert “Bo” Rein is available at www.amazon.com

For more information visit: www.azachwilliams.com

 

[Thump]

I’m a forum newbie who wanted to share my wonderful experience researching one of your own: Robert “Bo” Rein. My recently published (65 chapter, 335 pp) book FORTY MINUTES TO BATON ROUGE: The Story of Robert “Bo” Rein is the first and only book to be written about the about the Niles, Ohio native who had great success in Columbus playing football and baseball for the Buckeyes. For those who don’t know, Bo Rein tragically died at age 34 on the evening of January 10, 1980 when his twin engine Cessna 441 plunged 40,000 feet into the Atlantic Ocean off the Virginia coast, after a 1000 mile “ghost flight” across four states. Rein, the newly hired LSU head football coach, had only been on the job 42 days when the unthinkable happened while returning from a recruiting trip in Louisiana. Twenty years later, we would be reminded of Rein when professional golfer Payne Stewart suffered a similar fate.

Mentored by the likes of Woody Hayes, Lou Holtz and Frank Broyles, there seemed to be nothing that would stop Rein’s ascension to the top. Lured away from NC State by Louisiana State University, Rein was destined for stardom.

The fact that Rein never actually coached a day at LSU muddies the emotional waters and creates an unfortunate chasm between those who knew him and those who never got the chance. At LSU, the sadness resembled a new friend they had just met and abruptly lost. For NC State, the loss was devastation and utter disbelief. And for Ohioans...they had lost a beloved son.

I would be honored to answer any questions about Bo via this forum or the website below.
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FORTY MINUTES TO BATON ROUGE: The Story of Robert “Bo” Rein is available at www.amazon.com

For more information visit: www.azachwilliams.com

More details please.

You should also do research on former Buckeye Giovanni Strassini.

 

[Zach Williams]

The most challenging part about writing this book was that the subject material was at least 40 years old. Memories fade and recollections are often unreliable. However, many unknown nuggets were dug out such as Bo's participation in minor league football (not to be confused with the lesser semi-pro football). It was well known that he was drafted by MLB and the NFL, but in 1968 Bo also played for the Harrisburg Capital Colts of the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) and in 1969 for the Portland Loggers of the Continental Football League (CFL) all while he continued to toil in the baseball minors, as an assistant at OSU and after a supposed career ending achilles injury with the Baltimore Colts. All of this was presumably for the love of the game and to stay in shape, because there was little money involved. Bo never included this activity on his resume and rarely spoke of it. Bo was the ultimate bad-ass. Bo was the ultimate bad ass.