Ten Best Coaches In Florida State History

The Florida State Seminoles have a long history of having outstanding coaches. At one point the Seminoles have had the winningest coach ever in football and baseball. The university has several others that have won national championships. So who are the best Seminole coaches of all-time?

We have a football coach now that we hope will be on this list one day, but he hasn't coached a day for FSU so far. The early returns are good. While we have had a few great football coaches, we've had some excellent coaches in some other sports too. This list is going to be an outstanding reflection of a fantastic athletic program.

FSU's coaches in all sports will be evaluated over their entire body of work. Doing that, the 10 that have had the greatest success will be included on this list. Only that individuals contribution to Florida State University will be considered. What did that coach do for this great university?

Here is the list of the 10 greatest coaches in Florida State Seminole history!

10. Odell Haggins

1994-Present

4-2 Record as Head Coach (.667 Winning Percentage)

Odelll Haggins twice took over a broken team at FSU and united those teams to lead them to bowl games. He extended FSU's legendary bowl streak and then reestablished a new bowl streak this past season. This list is mostly made up of head coaches and Odell has only coached 6 games, so his inclusion may seem like a stretch to some. Repairing the damage left by Jimbo Fisher and Willie Taggart respectively was no easy task. Add in that he is everything right with FSU and has been one of the best position coaches in the country since 1994, and I had to include Odell on the list. Jimbo Fisher won a national championship at FSU and he won 29 games in a row, but he also completely wrecked the program and is the biggest reason the program is in the hole it is now. The biggest reason why it didn't get even worse than this is Odell. He will also be the biggest reason we will eventually come out of it. Odell belongs on the list.

9. Cecile Reynaud

1976-2001

635-326 Record as head coach (.661 Winning Percentage)

Reynaud is a living legend that helped put FSU women athletics on the map. Her success was perhaps best felt inside the classroom as Reynaud had all but two of her athletes graduate during her 26 year tenure. On the volleyball court, Reynaud led the Seminoles to 7 conference titles and 10 postseason appearances. The two-time ACC coach of the year is recognized nationally as one of the absolute best volleyball minds out there. She published several books and made DVDs about coaching the sport.

8. Leonard Hamilton

2002-Present

379-221 (.632 Winning Percentage)

Hamilton has gotten better with age and has managed to turn the football school at Florida State into a basketball powerhouse. It is really crazy to consider that FSU just won the ACC in a league with perennial powerhouses Duke and North Carolina. Hamilton won the ACC Tournament way back in 2012 too, its not just now. The 3x ACC Coach of the Year is someone that I was tempted to put much higher on this list. This team was Hamilton's best and I will forever believe that they would have won a national championship if the tournament was not cancelled due to Covid-19. Hamilton has figured out a recipe for success at Florida State and the program keeps getting better.

7. Sue Semrau

1997-Present

475-269 (.649 Winning Precentage)

FSU's longest tenured coach at the moment is no stranger to success herself. She is the all-time winningest coach in the history of the women's basketball program. Semrau has captured 2 ACC titles and is a 3x ACC Coach of the Year. FSU never reached the sweet 16 before Coach Sue came, and she has helped the Seminoles reach the Sweet 16 5 times. Three of those trips, included trips to the Elite 8. FSU had a really good chance to advance that far again, but Covid-19 strikes again. FSU Women's Basketball is in great hands with Coach Sue.

6. Lonni Alameda

2009-Present

555-167-1 (.768 Winning Percentage)

Alameda has brought tremendous success to the FSU softball program. The obvious feather in the cap for Alameda is the 2018 Women's College World Series championship. However, there is a lot more to the resume of the 5x ACC Coach of the Year. Florida State has won 6 ACC regular season titles, and 7 ACC tournament titles during her tenure at FSU. Each season that Alameda has coached at FSU, the team has competed in postseason play and during 3 of those seasons, the team advanced all the way to the Women's College World Series.

5. Mark Krikorian

2005-Present

276-66-30 (.782 Winning Percentage)

Krikorian his FSU's 4th longest tenured current coach. He has a really good claim to being at the top of the list. FSU has won 2 national championships during Krikorian's tenure and he has won 78% of games in which he has coached. His success at FSU has been so incredible that the Seminoles have advanced to the NCAA Tournament every year of his tenure. Not just that, but FSU has made the Quarterfinals in all but two of those seasons. During 8 of those seasons or half of his tenure, Kirkorian has taken the Seminoles to the College Cup. It is beyond incredible that he has had FSU as one of the last 4 teams in half of his seasons as head coach.

4. JoAnne Graf

1979-2008

1,437-478-6 (.748 Winning Percentage)

The Seminole softball field is named after JoAnne Graf, which should tell you a lot about the former coach. At the time of her retirement, Graf had more wins than any other coach in the history of D1 softball. Graf led the Seminoles to 17 NCAA Tournaments and 10 ACC Championships. She also led the Seminoles to 7 College World Series Games and two National Championships. Those National championships were in 1981 and 1982. The craziest thing about Graf's story is those 1981 and 1982 championships were AIAW championships (now NCAA) and were for slow pitch softball. Graf crafted a dominant team in slow pitch softball and navigated the change to fast pitch softball while keeping the Seminoles dominant. She would keep them so dominant that they would win 6 straight ACC championships from 1995-2000. JoAnne Graf is a true Seminoles legend.

3. Bob Braman

2004-Present

Braman is another long tenured coach for Florida State. Judging purely by national championships, Braman has been the most successful at FSU. His Seminoles three peated from 2006-2008. Of course the 2007 title was vacated due to the cheating scandal, but the NCAA came down way too hard on FSU and the track athletes involved in that were walk-ons that didn't contribute to the national title. The NCAA might only currently recognize two of Braman's titles, but he certainly won 3. Braman coaches two sports at FSU, cross country and track, and the Seminoles are very good at both. The cross country team advanced to 13 NCAA Championships in a 16 year period. FSU received the John McDonnell Award for the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons for having the highest average finish for cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. Braman has 22 ACC Championships in Men's track already. He also has helped FSU to two ACC Triple Crowns (winning cross country, indoor, and outdoor in the same school year) on the women's side. Prior, to Braman's arrival, FSU never finished higher than 7th in Cross Country in the ACC. He came and delivered a balanced program that is a national powerhouse.

2. Mike Martin

1980-2019

2,029-736-4 (.734 Winning Percentage)

Martin is the first  2,000 game winner in NCAA history in any sport. He has the most wins of any coach in any sport! How can he not be near the top with that stat? How is he not #1 honestly? The big knock against Martin is that he never won the NCAA championship, but he has done so much for the university. FSU's baseball field is named after the legendary coach for one. I already mentioned his legendary win total. Martin also appeared in 41 consecutive NCAA Tournaments under Martin. FSU not only had winning teams under Martin, but they went to the postseason for that many seasons in a row. Incredible. Martin has 13 regular season conference titles and 19 tournament titles. Florida State made 17 College World Series appearances under Martin and were the national runner-up twice. Martin advanced to the Super Regionals 27 times. 27 seasons as a top 16 team is incredible no matter how you want to act like it isn't.

1. Bobby Bowden

1976-2009

304-97-4 (.758 Winning Percentage)

Bowden is the greatest coach in college football history. He was at one point the winningest football coach in history. For some reason though, the NCAA restored Paterno's wins and not his. None of that matters though, what matters is that Bobby Bowden was an absolute force for a team that never had football success prior to his arrival. Bowden had 33 straight winning seasons at Florida State and established a winning season streak that started in 1977 and did not end until 2018 (thanks Willie Taggart). Florida State finished in the top 4 every year from 1987-2000. That 14 year stretch of dominance is really what separates Bowden from the rest of the college football coaching field. It is an amazing stretch of excellence. Can you imagine if the college football playoff existed then? FSU would have far more than 2 national championships if that was the case. Those 2 national championships are why Bowden finished ahead of Martin. What an excellent group of coaches this university has produced, led by the great Bobby Bowden.

- Noland

What is Next for Florida State Athletics

The Florida State Seminoles were expected to be a major force this football season. Preseason #4 with title aspirations. This team was predicted by many, including me to win the whole thing this year. That didn't happen. FSU faltered early by getting smoked by Louisiville and losing heart-breakers to UNC and Clemson. The regular season is now over with the Seminoles a top 10 team heading to the Orange Bowl with three losses. They got their season together and finished strong, but what is next for the football team and for the rest of the athletic department?

FSU Football is in a great spot. They have only had two coaches in 40 years and Jimbo Fisher has once again turned down LSU to stay with the Seminoles. This already young team, lost their defensive leader in week 2 in Derwin James and still went 9-3 with a Top 10 finish. Nobody is hurting in the FSU Football program, the team is in a great spot and will have yet another 10 win season with a bowl win. The young freshman QB was ACC Rookie of the Year and this team has a lot of skill returning next season. The future is bright with at least one more year with Deondre Francois and Derwin James. FSU is losing some major contributors though.....

Dalvin Cook is FSU's all-time leading rusher in terms of yards and touchdowns. It is incredibly sad that he is leaving, but a great feeling at the same time. Cook truly deserves to get paid and enjoy the fruits of his amazing work and talent. He is a true Seminole and bailed us out many a times during the past three seasons. The only player currently that can even come close to rivaling what Dalvin Cook has done for the Seminoles is DeMarcus Walker. I will always be thankful for DeMarcus and what he has accomplished. Walker led the nation in sacks this season and has been an absolute force for the Seminoles for years. He was an amazing Seminole. His greatest accomplishment though was leading the Seminoles to an incredible 8-0 record against the Gators and Hurricanes.

From the future of the football programs, we move to basketball. You see even though some people are Florida State Football and Duke Basketball fans, some people do actually care about FSU Hoops.

As of December 6th, the Seminoles are 8-1 with a single loss to Temple and seem to be the best squad Hamilton has produced in years. It certainly is the most talented group in years. This team has many Seminoles excited and they seem to be playing with the most heart since the team that won the conference title a few years ago. FSU Basketball is in a really good spot and could make some noise in March. You read that correctly, they can make some noise in March.

The always strong FSU Women's basketball team is looking even better than the men. Then again, isn't that always true?

FSU has that same 1 loss record record on the women's side, but its even more impressive. The only loss that these women have obtained is at the hands of perennial powerhouse UCONN. That UCONN team only beat FSU by 2 points. Had FSU nailed the three at the buzzer, they'd be 9-0 with a win over UCONN. It is easier to see then why the athletic department is so stoked about these fantastic ladies.

FSU Volleyball advanced to the Sweet Sixteen fresh off of beating the Gators in Gainesville. Let me repeat, Florida State beat the Damn Gators in Gainesville to advance to the Sweet 16. Chris Poole has done a phenomenal job as always and has the Noles primed to make a further dent in the NCAA Championships.

All of this and it isn't even mentioning FSU baseball. The baseball team is once again expected to be a threat nationally and has a great chance to win the conference. Hopefully this will be the year we deliver for #11. The season begins on Feb. 17 with a visit from Virginia Commonwealth.

FSU Soccer was knocked out of the NCAA Championships, by Utah, but had another phenomenal season. The Seminoles were ACC Champions and right there nationally again. Expect the Seminoles to be title contenders again next season.

FSU Track is expected once again to be a major threat in the ACC and nationally. The tennis teams could make some noise. Beach Volleyball is a national powerhouse. Swimming is underway and both teams are looking strong. FSU placed 5th in the southern region is Cross Country as well. These programs are strong all the way around.

The Future is bright for FSU Athletics!!!!

-Noland

2016-2017 NCAA Football Predictions

Another glorious football season is upon us. Fall is practically here and our favorite sport will be played before you know it. Since it is so close, that can only mean that it is prediction time again. So my predictions for the 2016-2017 football season are what this entry is all about. Last week, I focused on ACC predictions and this week it will focus on the national predictions as a whole

After another championship run, most people are on the Alabama bandwagon, but not this guy. Despite their manageable schedule and incredible amount of talent returning, they are losing more than people realize and it is very difficult to repeat. Something can and will go wrong for the Tide. Who does that leave us to compete? Let's start with some teams that nobody is talking about that could have an impact on the College Football Playoff that I have outside of my playoff and most people have outside their top 10 teams.

The Darkhorse Teams

5. Utah Utes
The Pac 12 seems wide open, especially in the South. That opens the door for defending South co-champ Utah, a team nobody is talking about. Utah has their offensive line returning and most of their defense. A defense that typically is one of the best in the Pac 12. I am not sold on UCLA and should the Bruins stumble, that opens the door for a talented Utah team to play for the Pac title. These defending champs are not getting nearly enough credit as most outlets have them outside the top 25.

4. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
As mentioned in the ACC preview, nobody is talking about the yellow jackets. Nobody! Now, they won't win the ACC, but they will be much improved over last year's team in my opinion and will make a mark in the top 25. They are being picked near the bottom, so they are definitely a darkhorse to do some damage in my view.

3. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Picked by many outlets to finish 3rd in the Big 12, I can easily see the Cowboys winning the Big 12 and crashing the college football playoff. The Cowboys won 10 games last year and have 16 starters back including their QB. Honestly, I am shocked that they are not being talked about more. 9 wins seems a lock and 10+ is a near lock. Road Trips to TCU and Oklahoma could be all that is standing in OK State's way of making a playoff bid.

2. Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats have fallen short of a bowl bid the past few seasons with 5-7 finishes. This year will be different. They are picked to finish 4th in the SEC East at best and lower in some outlets. However, these guys can finally start to rise up the ladder in the SEC this season. They now boast the brilliant offensive staff from Cincinnati and they have the overwhelming majority of their offensive starters returning. Additionally, they get to play South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State at home this year. The Wildcats will go to their first bowl game since 2010 this season, the question is how good of a bowl game it will be.

1. Wisconsin Badgers
The Badgers are predicted to finish 3rd in the Big 10 West. They are predicted 30th overall. These guys are predicted to not be a factor at all, but they are a powerhouse. They do lose a QB and a defensive coordinator, but they are in a wide open Big 10 West. Good Wisconsin teams are really known for grueling offensive lines and they return 7 offensive lineman with starting experience. Their starting runningback, Corey Clement, is also back after missing most of last season due to injury. A healthy Clement behind an experienced offensive line should make the Badgers running game quite formidable again in 2016. The running game lacking last year is a reason the program dropped off a bit last year, but it won't be an issue in 2016. We can find out early how formidable Wisconsin is with a Week 1 match-up against LSU. Should they win that one, the Badgers are a legit playoff threat.

5 Burning Questions Around the Country

5. Does the Big 12 get a playoff bid?
Short answer to this question is no, but I will give a longer answer. Oklahoma is strongly favored in the Big 12, but they likely won't go undefeated in conference doing so. They have non-conference games against Houston and Ohio State as well. This information leads you to believe that the Sooners will lose at least 2 games and the Big 12 will be on the outside looking in come playoff time. No conference championship game hurts the conference a lot and unless Oklahoma or Texas have an equal or better resume than other contenders they will be left out. Other Big 12 teams won't get as much benefit of the doubt as Oklahoma or Texas and will have to have resumes much better than other contenders to get in.

4. Is Tennessee The Favorite In the SEC East?
Most are predicting Tennessee around the country, but I just don't see it the more I look. As bad as the SEC East is, Georgia is better than Tennessee. Kirby Smart is a better coach than Butch Davis and Tennessee has to play Alabama. I just can't see Tennessee besting Georgia in the East.

3. Can Michigan State reload quickly?
Michigan State has been one of the most consistently great teams in college football. They have been excellent for several years now. Last season they parlayed their success into a college football playoff berth. However, this season they lost two starters on the offensive line including one of their best offensive lineman in school history (Jack Conklin), their number 1 receiver, and one of the best quarterbacks in school history (Connor Cook). Are 5 returning starters on defense enough to keep them in the race in a tough Eastern division?
They could be a factor, but I'd expect them no better than 3rd with Michigan and Ohio State in the mix.

2. How Much Will Washington Breakout?

Washington looks like they are headed in the right direction and they are trending upward. How far upward though? Are they contending for a division title, winning their division, or winning their conference?
You will see shortly that I am bullish on the Huskies and expect them to win the Pac. They are a team I expect to make a lot of noise in 2016. Their excellent coach Chris Peterson is a big reason why.

1. Will Texas take a step forward in 2016?
Texas is a team that many people are unsure of this season. It seems they have some talent now in place and could take a leap forward under Charlie Strong. Most people are predicting around 7 wins for the Longhorns and a finish around 50 in the country. My prediction is that they will take a step forward and win 8 or 9 games. They will finish 4th in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and TCU.

10 Teams Most Likely to Win the Title

10. Louisville Cardinals

Louisville edges out Houston for my #10 team most likely to win the title. Houston will also have a shot, but has a tough nonconference schedule and is still a Group of 5 team. There is a lot for Houston to overcome, but they will be formidable and likely win the American Conference. Houston needs to run the table to get in tough and Louisville can get in with one loss if they win the ACC. I do not expect Louisville to beat either FSU, or Clemson, but it is possible. The #1 thing working in Louisville's favor is that they get FSU early and on short rest @ home.

9. Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State has a lot of pieces to replace, but as much as I do not like him, Urban Meyer is a winner. Additionally, Ohio State is a powerhouse program that reloads. They very well could compete for a title again in 2016.

8. Oklahoma Sooners

Winning the Big 12 would get them in the conversation. I think they fall just short, but they certainly have the talent to win it all. They have to have better resumes than the other conference champs due to no conference title game. The name brand doesn't hurt them like other big 12 schools though.

7. Stanford Cardinal

The most consistent Pac 12 team with one of the best coaches and best players in the nation certainly deserves mention. I expect them to finish 2nd to another Pac 12 school, but would not be surprised if they won the Pac.

6. Michigan Wolverines

I am picking Michigan to win the Big 10, but believe they will lose to either the SEC or ACC Champ. Getting to the playoff vaults them up the list.

5. Washington Huskies

Take what I said to Michigan, but apply it to the Pac 12. I do believe though that these guys are going to be a force this year. This is my ultimate sleeper and they will be a major threat to the national title.

4. Clemson Tigers

I expect the Tigers to be left out of the playoffs, but they could easily not only get in, but win it all. These guys are super talented and DeShaun Watson is an incredible player. Don't be shocked if they win it all. That Clemson-FSU game is the game of the year.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide

I am picking LSU over Alabama and that seems blasphemous. Alabama has been the class of college football this decade. They have won 4 of 7 National Championships. It would surprise nobody if they won again this year. I suspect they will fall short having to replace some key pieces. Just remember though that Alabama does not rebuild they reload. This school has incredible athletes.

2. LSU Tigers

Behind one of the best players in the nation, LSU will be back in 2016. They will compete and could easily win the national championship. Do not let it surprise you if they pull it off.

1. Florida State Seminoles

Florida State is returning every single offensive starter from 2016 including the explosive Dalvin Cook. Every single starter from one of the most talented rosters in the country. From a team that went to a New Years 6 bowl and had Clemson on the ropes last year on the road. They get Clemson on the road and have the opportunity to make a statement against the SEC in Week 1. Florida State is my pick to win the national championship and I love their roster. Their coach is not too shabby either!

The Playoff Teams
This is not just the same as the teams most likely to win. I expect the ACC or SEC Champion to take home the crown, but only one team from each league will likely make the playoffs. It has only been conference champions to date, and I expect that trend to continue.

4. Michigan Wolverines

3. Washington Huskies

2. LSU Tigers

1. Florida State Seminoles
I told you what I thought would happen in the previous section, but still thought you should see the actual playoff teams I am predicting. I believe that FSU will win it all! It would not surprise me to see either 2 ACC teams or 2 SEC teams depending on their records. I would be shocked though if either conference is left out of the playoffs. Due to the depth at the top of each, they should compete.

5 Best Regular Season Matchups

5. 9/17 Florida State @ Louisville ABC Noon Eastern

4. 9/30 Stanford @ Washington   ESPN 6PM Pacific

3. 11/26 Michigan @ Ohio State

2. 11/5  Alabama @ LSU

1. 10/29 Clemson @ Florida State

5 Best Week 1 Matchups

5. Saturday 9/3 Alabama v. USC (AT&T Stadium) 8PM ET ABC

4. Saturday 9/3 North Carolina v. Georgia (Georgia Dome) 530PM ET ESPN

3. Saturday 9/3 LSU v. Wisconsin (Lambeau Field) 330PM ET ABC

2. Saturday 9/3 Oklahoma v. Houston (NRG Stadium) Noon ET ABC

1. Monday 9/5  Florida State v. Ole Miss (Citrus Bowl) 8 PM ET ESPN

Heisman Darkhorses NOBODY is Talking About

5. Boom Williams      RB     Kentucky
The Kentucky runningback is starting behind an offensive line returning 4 of 5 starters in an offense that is destined to have better play-calling than in the past. Many people will not see it coming, but he will be a contender for the All-SEC team and thus could make a push into the Heisman picture. A favorable schedule by SEC standards helps.

4. John O' Korn    QB    Michigan

O' Korn has not even officially won the job yet. Quarterback is the biggest question on Michigan's roster. So how is he a Heisman darkhorse?
I expect him to be the quarterback in an explosive offense of a team that makes the playoffs. Should Michigan be as good as I think they will be and should he win the job, then he will likely be in the race. The Houston transfer has 34 touchdowns as a college quarterback already and looks to double that amount this season. He very well could be one to watch.

3. James Washington   WR   Oklahoma State
Should Oklahoma State sneak into the playoff picture or make it in, this becomes a real possibility. Washington is predicted to be an All-American by me, but it is possible he can be more. With Mason Rudolph at QB in the offensive friendly Big 12, I expect this offense to be quite explosive. Washington will be the star and could emerge as a Heisman candidate. This certainly could happen. It is just tough for a receiver to receive this honor.

2. Corey Clement   RB   Wisconsin
The talented Clement is back behind a great offensive line and the Badgers are my darkhorse this season so naturally he appears on this list. Most people are not to high on Clement or the Badgers, but an early match-up with LSU can certainly get Clement some early Heisman looks. A breakout game against the Tigers could vault him up the Heisman list.

1. Jake Browning     QB   Washington

There seems to be a trend with the Washington Huskies. There will be much more on Jake Browning to come in this post....

My Heisman Top 5

5. Jake Browning    QB    Washington
You already have seen how high I am on the Washington Huskies this year. I expect them to win the Pac and for Browning to be a major reason why. He will have a breakout year in his second year and look to improve upon his 63% completion percentage. As a freshman, Browning threw for 2,955 yards and I would expect that total to jump over 4,000 in year 2 of Chris Peterson's offense.

4. Baker Mayfield     QB     Oklahoma

Mayfield will be back in the conversation again this season. Expect Oklahoma to be back in the thick of the playoff race, making it likely Mayfield has a strong shot at the award.

3. Christian McCaffrey    RB   Stanford

You could argue that McCaffrey should have won the award last year, and that he is the favorite this year. He certainly is one of the top contenders. It likely will come down to these three backs that have been outstanding, but I have the other two edging him out.

2. Dalvin Cook     RB    Florida State

IMO, Dalvin Cook should have won the award last year. The season he had with that injury and the negative press was otherworldly. This guy is an absolute machine. However, the fact that he was left off so many All-American teams last year and that he was not invited to New York makes me think he will get passed up again. It seems that the voters simply will not vote for him for whatever reason. It is a shame because he will possibly deserve it again, but the numbers will have to be insane for him to get it.

1. Leonard Fournette       RB    LSU

Fournette will be aided by 2 factors
1) LSU will be tremendous this season
2) Dalvin Cook is hated nationally
Those factors + the fact that he is excellent and plays in the SEC is why I predict Fournette to be our next Heisman trophy winner.

Offensive All-Americans

QB Jake Browning     Washington

RB Dalvin Cook           Florida State

RB Leonard Fournette   LSU

WR Calvin Ridley        Alabama

WR James Washington  Oklahoma State

TE Bucky Hodges         Virginia Tech

OT Roderick Johnson  Florida State

OT Cam Robinson        Alabama

OG Billy Price               Ohio State

OG Dan Feeney             Indiana

C  Ethan Pocic               LSU

Defensive All-Americans

DE Jonathan Allen    Alabama

DE Chris Wormley    Michigan

DT Charles Walker   Oklahoma

DT Lowell Lotuleli    Utah

LB Ben Boulware      Clemson

LB Devontae Fields   Louisville

LB Raekwon McMillan Ohio State

CB Desmond King   Iowa

CB Sidney Jones      Washington

S   Derwin James     Florida State

S   Jamal Adams      LSU

Specialist All-Americans

K Andy Phillips          Utah

P  Hayden Hunt          Colorado State 

KR Evan Berry           Tennessee
PR William Likely      Maryland

Coach of The Year

Jimbo Fisher!!!!

Again, Fisher probably should win this award that he has never gotten, just like he has never gotten the ACC Coach of the Year, but he won't. I would actually assume this award will go to Chris Peterson if the Huskies are as good as I think they will be this year. The Huskies making the playoffs should get Peterson to win the award. Should the Oklahoma State Cowboys make it though, Mike Gundy could easily win. 10+ wins down in Texas will win Charlie Strong the award.

It will again be a wonderfully exciting football season indeed.

-Noland

2016-2017 ACC Football Predictions

We are almost there, it is almost football season!!!
It's about time and I am once again excited to watch with my family. Once again, I will be making predictions and getting them written down and doing them the same as last year. 2 college football prediction posts, with the main one next week, and one pro prediction post.

These predictions, will be of what will happen in Florida State's conference and they will be focused on Florida State.  Being honest, Florida State has ran the ACC on the football side since their inclusion in 1992. Even last year in a rebuilding year, FSU took national runner-up Clemson to the wire. A game that FSU could have easily pulled out. Since 1992, FSU has won 15 conference championships out of 23 seasons. That means that 65% of the seasons Florida State has played in the conference, they have won! Incredible! It is even more incredible when you consider that rival Miami has been to 0 conference championship games since joining the conference. With this information, the questions start at who can challenge FSU?

The obvious answer in challenging for the ACC Championship is the Clemson Tigers. Many experts have both Clemson and FSU making the playoff. It seems that the majority feels that it is 50/50 who wins that FSU-Clemson game which is in Tallahassee this year. A strong Louisville team could also challenge. The Seminoles though return every single offensive starter and despite losing #5 overall pick Jalen Ramsey, look to be even better on defense as well. Florida State is locked and loaded for a national championship run. Let's look at the threats in greater detail though.

Biggest Threats to FSU

The top threat is Clemson for obvious reasons. The Tigers return the Heisman favorite and were national runner-up last year. Clemson rolled through the ACC schedule and really only struggled with Florida State on the way to an undefeated regular season. With Watson and many other key players returning, it is easy to see how the Tigers can be National Championship contenders again.

Right behind Clemson and I mean right behind Clemson is a dangerous Louisville Cardinals team. These guys will be the trendy sleeper pick in the conference, but they are no sleeper at all. The Cardinals could easily give the ACC Atlantic 3 Top 10 teams. They could also be so dangerous that they cost the ACC 2 playoff teams and possibly wipe the ACC from the championship picture all together. Playing Louisville on the road early in a 12 pm kickoff as a 3rd game in 19 days terrifies me. If FSU drops a regular season game, this one to me is the most likely. QB Lemar Jackson is a Heisman Trophy sleeper and Louisville absolutely is good enough not just to win the ACC, but the national championship. Louisville is loaded for the 2016 season. Watch out!

ACC Darkhorse

Last year, my dark horse started out 3-0, but then they lost everything, so it has to get better for 2016. Still I will not make an easy pick like Louisville, because as stated earlier, Louisville is not and should not be a dark horse. For my darkhorse to compete in the coastal, I am actually going with Georgia Tech who disappointed in 2015. They were able to knock off Florida State though which shows they still have the chops to make a run. With Justin Thomas returning for his senior season, I could easily see the Jackets competing for a title on the Coastal side. That being said, I believe that the Atlantic is much better than the Coastal this season because of the three teams that I mentioned earlier. The Yellow Jackets though will go bowling at least this season and finish better in the Coastal than their predicted finish which is last in some outlets and 5th or lower in most.

Who Wins the Conference?

As you might expect, I am picking the Seminoles in the ACC. I do realize the threats that the other teams possess, especially Clemson and Louisville, but at the end of the day, Florida State just has too much talent. I think people underestimate the hits Clemson took to the NFL on the defensive line as well. When in doubt, it is prudent to pick the Seminoles anyways as they have won the conference more than 50% of the time since they joined. The Seminoles win the ACC and perhaps the National Championship due to their incredible talent and the amazing job that Jimbo Fisher does with that talent. Florida State looks to have a strong 2016.

5 Questions and Answers

1) How many wins will Mark Richt get in year one at Miami?

Miami will easily start 3-0 before a showdown with Georgia Tech and could be 4-0 before the rivalry contest with Florida State. However, I expect them to drop both of those games and 3 others (Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and one more). That would put Miami at 7-5 and in a winable bowl game. It is possible that Miami finally makes it to an ACC Championship behind brilliant QB play from Brad Kaaya, but don't think he has enough around him to pull it off.

2) Who is the most talented player in conference?

The most talented player in conference may surprise some of you, but not everyone. His name is Derwin James and he is a sophomore safety at Florida State. Derwin started as a true sophomore last year and Jimbo Fisher and co. said he was the best true Freshman they have coached. Given who has come through that program in recent years, that is pretty high praise.

3) How many ACC teams will make the playoff?
It is pretty safe to say that the ACC will get at least one team in the playoff with how strong Clemson, Florida State, and Louisville are supposed to be. The conference should easily get one unless each ends up with a loss or more and the other P5 conferences all have undefeated teams. I don't see that happening in the other P5 conferences though. There is an outside chance of 2 if one of the aforementioned teams loses a close game to the conference champ and finishes with 1 loss while other conference champs have 2+ losses. If I were betting I'd say Florida State makes it and the others miss. It would not surprise me to see either Clemson or Louisville in the playoff though. 

4) Who will be the top newcomer in 2016?
The top new face in the ACC will be FSU QB DeAndre Francois. It is widely expected that Francois will beat out returning starter Sean McGuire and lead the Seminoles on a national championship run. If that does not come to fruition, then I expect the top newcomer to be Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente. The Hokies will be much improved under Fuente's watch.

5) Who will be the most disappointing team in 2016?
The Miami Hurricanes seem to be the perennial ACC team to disappoint. Since joining the conference in 2005, the Hurricanes have failed to even make an ACC Championship game appearance. Anything less than that at this point is still a disappointment. With Georgia Tech coming back into the fold, a talented UNC squad, Pittsburgh emerging and the rebirth of Virginia Tech, I just can't see it for Miami. The Hurricanes could easily finish 4th or 5th in the ACC Coastal.

1st Team All ACC Predictions

Offense

QB Lemar Jackson   Louisville

RB Dalvin Cook       Florida State

RB Elijah Hood        North Carolina

WR Jamari Staples   Louisville

WR Travis Rudolph Florida State

TE Bucky Hodges   Virginia Tech

OT Roderick Johnson Florida State

OT Mitch Hyatt        Clemson

OG Dorian Johnson  Pittsburgh

OG Danny Isidora    Miami

OC Jay Guillermo    Clemson

Defense

DE DeMarcus Walker Florida State
DE Ken Ekanem         Virginia Tech
DT Derrick Nnadi       Florida State
DT BJ Hill                  North Carolina State
LB Ben Boulware       Clemson
LB Devontae Fields    Louisville
LB PJ Davis                Georgia Tech
CB Marquez White     Florida State
CB Trumaine Washington  Louisville
S Derwin James           Florida State
S Quin Blanding          Virginia

Specialists

PK Ricky Aguayo        Florida State

P  Justin Vogel             Miami

KR Artavis Scott         Clemson
PR Bra'Lon Cherry      North Carolina State

Players of the Year

Offensive: Louisville QB Lemar Jackson
Defensive: Florida State S Derwin James
Dalvin Cook should have been player of the year last year, and I believe we will be in a similar position this year. I just can't see the media giving it to him unless his numbers are otherwordly. They just don't want him getting this award and see him as a tainted individual. It is an incredibly wrong perception, but they won't give it to Cook. This award will likely go to Jackson or Watson, but a strong senior season from Justin Thomas could push the award in that direction. Brad Kaaya is another big contender here. James is the best player in the conference on the defensive side and will win the award on that side. His top competition could come from his teammates. Josh Sweat, DeMarcus Walker, and Marquez White will all vie for the award.

Coach of the Year
Jimbo Fisher!!!

Much like I said last year, Fisher will likely deserve the award and not win. This is because that is what happens every year. He has never won ACC Coach of the Year which is a crime for a national champ and a top 5 coach in the country. I believe that Paul Johnson will actually win again, due to Georgia Tech exceeding expectations in 2016 after a disappointing 2015 campaign.

Stay Tuned Next Week for My College Football Preview

- Noland

State of Florida State Athletics

Florida State University Athletics has built itself into one of the finest athletic departments in the entire country. The university boasts several elite teams that compete for national championships. Each of the programs at the school is nationally relevant, and here it is determined just how relevant each program is. I will go program by program, analyze the season and talk about the future of that sport at Florida State. Before we begin, it is just important to acknowledge that the future is bright for the Seminoles. So let's begin the look into Florida State Athletics....

Baseball
FSU baseball enjoyed an up and down year that would be considered a success for most schools. Florida State is not most schools though. At this point, FSU fans expect championships. They expect at least an ACC title, and really want a national championship. That being said, most fans are proud of this young squad. The Noles made it to the ACC Championship game and battled back to make it a game despite being blown out by rival Clemson. Florida State won the regional and nearly knocked the hated Gators out in the Super Regional. Runner-up in the ACC Tournament and being knocked out in the Super Regional by the #1 team in the country is not a bad year. It just stings more because of the teams that beat the Seminoles this year.
All of that said, FSU is bringing back a lot of firepower in 2017 and should be one of the favorites in all of college baseball. The Noles return their offensive core of Dylan Busby, Cal Raleigh, Jackson Lueck, and Taylor Walls. They also return all three starters from the UF series. Add in the veterans and recruits and this is a scary good team. Drew Mendoza, was expected to be drafted, but is instead coming to Florida State as well. Gotta love a guy that turns down millions to become a Nole! The lineup will be scary good, and all 3 starting pitchers from the Super Regional are coming back! John Sansone and Mike Compton are the only regulars that FSU is losing in 2017. Things are looking up for the Seminoles in 2017!
This could be 11's best shot yet to win a title. Many don't want to see Martin coach next year, but personally I do. I really want Martin to win that elusive title. This past season was Martin's 39th consecutive (every season at FSU) 40 win season. That is an absolutely incredible feat, that should continue the next two years. Martin has signed a contract extension through 2018.

Basketball (Men's)
If the baseball team was up and down, then I have no words for the basketball team. It has reached its ceiling under Leonard Hamilton in my opinion and the teams don't even have the defensive qualities that used to be the trademark of Hamilton teams anymore. If he is not leading an incredible defensive squad, then Leonard Hamilton is useless as a basketball coach other than recruiting. His top recruiting class all went pro with XRM after a disappointing season too so.....
Hamilton may have dodged a bullet as Dwayne Bacon and Xavier Rathan Mayes decided to return to school after testing the NBA waters during the pre-draft process. Those two returning give the Seminoles a shot at making the NCAA Tournament. Miss that tournament and the calls for Hamilton's job will become deafening.

Basketball (Women's)
The women's basketball team has raised itself to the upper echelon in the ACC and become far more successful than the men. Head Coach Sue Semrau has built quite the program down here at Florida State. Her career record at Florida State is 337-225 for a winning percentage of 62.4%. Semrau has led the Noles to NCAA appearances in 10 of the last 11 seasons including a Sweet Sixteen appearance this past season. She was even named coach of the year in 2015.
It is obvious to see that Semrau has done a fantastic job leading the Noles recently, but how does that relate to any future success?
A 15-1 home record last year shows that the Seminoles have become very strong at defending their home court. The lone loss was to an elite Notre Dame squad and it was one of only 3 ACC losses. Those facts make it seem clear that the Seminoles will remain near the top of the ACC and remain a nationally elite program. The NCAA appearances in 10 of 11 seasons dont hurt and neither does Coach Sue. Add in the majority of the roster returning and the future is looking bright for the Seminoles Basketball on the Womens side.
Beach Volleyball
The Florida State Beach Volleyball team has been a national championship contender since the sport was added by the NCAA. This season was the 1st that sand volleyball was a full-fledged NCAA sport though. This May, FSU made it all the way back to the National Championship, before falling to Southern Cal. That loss was only the Seminoles 3rd loss on the entire season. Their 2nd loss was at the end of the winners bracket for that tournament, also to Southern Cal. Making it all the way to the finals is quite the accomplishment. The Seminoles will look to build on that for their next season.
Retaining their coach will certainly help in that crusade for a championship. 1st year coach Brooke Niles was so successful that she was recognized as the AVCA National Coach of the Year. Niles is married to FSU alum Nick Lucena who will represent Team USA in Rio (more on him on another day). Unfortunately for the Seminoles, their top duo of Julie Brown and Jace Pardon will no longer be with the team due to graduation. Next year, the Seminoles will have to find a new top team. 

Cross Country (Men's)
The Seminoles men's cross country team is led by head track and field coach Bob Braman. This guy is arguably the best coach out of all of FSU athletics. It is hard to argue with his 3 National Championships in track. Heading into the 2015 season, Braman had made 11 NCAA Championship meet appearances with the Seminoles. Prior to him being hired, the Seminoles made only 1 title appearance.
This past season the Seminoles again made a championship appearance, but only finished 29th. That result though was an improvement over where they were in 2014. FSU's top runner was a junior in 2015, so he will look to help the Noles finish much higher in the 2016 season. Florida State was able to win the regional title for the 2015 season and will look to repeat that in 2016.

Cross Country (Women's)
The Seminoles women's track team is led by Kelly Phillips. Phillips was in her 1st year at FSU this past season. FSU finished 4th in the region on the women's side and failed to make the NCAA Championship. With an incredibly young team this past season, it is almost guaranteed that FSU will improve on that finish and make the championship in 2016.
Football
Let's be honest, it took a long time for me to get to the sport that everyone cares about for Florida State athletics. I care about every sport though and wanted to do them in alphabetical order. That being said...
FSU football is a national power. The Seminoles have been nationally relevant since my birth and enjoyed numerous top 5 finishes and 3 national championships in that time. This team has been a football juggernaut. From 1987 to 2000 the team finished in the Top 5 an incredible 14 consecutive years. More recently, the Noles won 29 straight games from 2012-Jan 2015 and had back to back undefeated regular seasons in 2013 and 2014. All of this is not to mention a modern day draft record for most players selected from one school in a 3 year period. The Seminoles have had an incredible run.
Last year that run slowed a bit as the Seminoles finished 10-3. This record during a rebuilding year following all those draft picks came with its ups and downs. Among the ups were going wire to wire with national runner-up Clemson @ Clemson in a game the Seminoles easily could have won and dominating in state rival Florida. The downs were losses to lowly Georgia Tech and the bowl loss to Houston. Although the bowl loss was largely due to injuries at Quarterback and Tailback. The offense was carried (no pun intended) by runningback Dalvin Cook for the entire season. He dominated on the field despite a lingering hamstring issue all season. Cook broke the school single season rushing record during that incredible stretch and finished with 1691 for the season. The incredible playmaker returns for the Seminoles for the 2016-2017 season.

With Cook and the rest of the offense returning (Golson was the offensive player on the 2 deep that was a senior last season) the Seminoles are a playoff favorite for a lot of people this upcoming season. There are quite a few outlets that have the Seminoles winning the national championship this upcoming season. Many have Dalvin Cook and Derwin James as the top returning offensive and defensive players respectively. The Seminoles are loaded with talent and still coached by Jimbo Fisher. Fisher has won 83% of the games that he has coached. These are the Florida State Seminoles and they will be in the national championship picture.

Golf (Men's)
The FSU Golf team made tremendous strides this season and is officially nationally relevant. FSU spent nearly the entire year ranked in the Top 20 and ended up finishing 19th at the NCAA Championships. The team finished one stroke out of the top 15 cutline in that 19th place finish. Head Coach Trey Jones is encouraged by that finish and the underclassmen returning. The Noles look to improve in 2016.

Golf (Women's)
FSU's women did even better than the men in golf. The team finished 15th at the NCAA Championships. That finish included a 2nd place finish in the NCAA Shoal Creek Regional to qualify for the NCAA finals. Coach Amy Bond has led the Seminoles to 6 consecutive NCAA Championship appearances. Those appearances bring the total current streak to 11 consecutive appearances (a school record). The Seminoles will look to make it 12 next year and perhaps bring home an NCAA title.

Soccer
The FSU Soccer team had the most successful 2014 of any Seminole team. They are arguably the best team on campus and were looking to defend that National Championship in 2015. FSU finished play in 2015 with a loss in the College Cup seminfinals. While the Noles failed to repeat in 2015, it is rare that a team can make the final 4 in their sport multiple years in a row. The past three years, FSU finished with a 2nd place finish, a championship, and a 3rd place finish. Most teams would kill for those results. However, this program has become so strong that it expects to win a national championship each season. There is no doubt that the Seminoles will be in the thick of it. Coach Mark Krikorian has built the Seminoles into a machine that competes year in and year out for championships. Despite 3 top ten selections in the past draft, the Seminoles will likely be a major factor again for 2016.

Softball
The Seminoles set a school record 459 runs this season on the way to advancing again to the Women's College World Series. It was there that the Seminoles advanced to the WCWS semifinals and were a series threat to win it all. Auburn was actually able to knock off the Noles in softball, which is quite different than the results in other sports. Head Coach Lonni Alameda has been ACC Coach of the Year for the past 4 seasons in leading the Seminoles to this unprecedented level of success. Almeda has led the Noles to 4 straight ACC regular season titles and 3 straight tournament titles. FSU has advanced to the WCWS in 2014 and 2016. The Seminoles return a stacked team for 2017 including superstar Jessica Warren among others.

Swimming and Diving (Men's and Women's)

Frank Bradley led the Seminoles during the 2015-2016 season which is still technically going on as some former and current Seminoles look to qualify for the Olympics. However, there is no coach listed for the 2016-2017 season. One coach that does return though is diving coach John Proctor. Proctor was able to lead Dylan Grisell to a 7th place finish at the NCAA Championships. Grisell was the 1st All-American in that event in school history. Unfortunately, he will be leaving FSU as a graduated senior. There are multiple questions heading into the 2016-2017 season, but the number one question has to be who will take over duties as the swimming coach.

Tennis (Men's)
The Seminoles male tennis team was able to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It was during the second round that seniors Lock and Nunez fell and were eliminated from the tournament. Coach Dwayne Hultquist will look to have even more success with a new duo in 2017. The Seminoles were able to knock off a #1 team for the 1st time in school history in 2016. That success leaves reason for optimism despite FSU losing some seniors.

Tennis (Women's)
The lady Seminoles did not do quite as well as the mens team finishing ranked 63rd in the country. They also lose their top player from the past four seasons in Daneika Borthwick. She was able to reach the NCAA individual championships in her final season. There is still reason for optimism though as FSU returns their all-time winningest female tennis coach in Jennifer Hyde.

Track and Field (Men's)
Entering this season, FSU had finished 4th or better at the NCAAs 7 times in the last 11 seasons. That would not happen in 2016, but what did happen is the Noles continued to advance to the NCAA Finals and continued to earn points. With a young and talented team returning, it is quite possible that the Seminoles have another top 4 finish in 2016. They will look to win their 4th National Championship for the legendary Bob Braman (the 2007 championship was vacated due to the academic cheating scandal though, even when it didn't involve athletes that earned points). All of this year's success was without All-American Jalen Ramsey, who was selected 5th overall in the past NFL draft. The Seminoles will be back in a major way in 2017.

Track and Field (Women's)
The Seminole women are also led by the legendary Braman, but have not enjoyed quite the same success. However, this team is still nationally prominent. Several women were able to advance to the NCAA Championships. With such a young team, the Seminoles look to make an even bigger impact in 2017. The FSU women are poised to have a decent shot at winning their 2nd national championship during either the indoor or outdoor season. FSU owns a national championship in 1984 indoor womens track and 1985 outdoor womens track. Coach Braman is the perfect guy to try to lead them there. I heard field events coach, Dennis Nobles, isnt bad either.

Volleyball
Florida State has built up quite a name for themselves on the volleyball landscape since Chris Poole took over in 2008. Since 2009, Poole has led the Seminoles to the NCAA Tournament every season. The best of these seasons came in 2011 as the Seminoles reached the national semifinal. The current streak of 7 consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearances is a school record. Poole led the Seminoles to a 2nd round finish in 2015 behind some fantastic seniors. Those seniors, Carolina Dadowski, Laura Dadowski, Karlie Hauer, Mercedes Vaughn, and Nicole Walsh went 109-23 as Seminoles. That group only lost 2 games during their entire careers at Tully Gym. Just two losses at home! Absolutely incredible. Despite losing some crazy talent, I'd bet on the Seminoles to make another NCAA appearance in 2016, stretching the school record to 8 seasons. Poole's track record would have you believe nothing less. Heck, they already beat Auburn and Florida during the spring volleyball season.

I told you FSU owns Auburn.
I guess we will let them live in their alternate reality though....

-Noland

The FSU Culture Problem Myth

A couple of weeks ago, RB Mario Pender was dismissed from the Florida State Football team for being a completely terrible human being. You do not ever hit a woman. EVER! No excuse for it. Jimbo Fisher as per usual did the right thing! With this dismissal, it did seem like a perfect time though to bring up the perception of Florida State Athletics to the country at large though.

There is a myth around college sports in general and especially Florida State Athletics when it comes to a culture problem. That being said, I do realize that Florida State has its issues and some things do need to tighten up. However, every issue at Florida State is completely overblown (other than when a serious crime actually happens and each time that player is dismissed!) and more reflective of the population at large. After reading this piece, you will see where I and so many other Seminoles are coming from.

First, this is nothing new, this myth it has been talked about since the early 90s and as early as I can remember liking football. You remember Free Shoes University? That's what Gator fans used to call us over a minor issue and when we started to become public enemy #1. The scandal was that agents bought $6,000 worth of Free Shoes for players. That seems like small potatoes today, but at the time was one of the biggest scandals ever, for some reason. Think of how many shoes athletes today get for free and tell me again how this is a huge deal. Also just try and tell me about a college kid that would turn down free shoes....I'll wait....

Oh, by the way one of those players that was linked to the free shoes scandal was Derrick Brooks. That guy, went on to become NFL Man of the Year. Derrick Brooks is regarded as one of the greatest humanitarians in the history of the league. He recently helped start a charter school here in Tampa. Brooks is well known for numerous charitable efforts. This is one of the greatest people to ever play football and he played at Florida State. While here, he was linked to that huge "scandal." I think we know that came out okay and any school would love to have Derrick Brooks as an ambassador for their program. The former linebacker now serves on Florida State's board of trustees.

Okay, so one good guy went to Florida State, so what?
Well, another NFL Man of the Year went to Florida State and played on the same team as Brooks. Warrick Dunn is that man who many would say is one of the best people in this country, not football players, but people. As of October 2015, Warrick Dunn had quietly given away 145 homes to single mothers. This dude dedicates his life towards providing a better life for single parents. I sure wish we had more ambassadors for college football programs like Florida State has in Warrick Dunn and Derrick Brooks.

The fantastic people to come out of Florida State does not end there....
Florida State has produced more NFL Men of the Year than any other school. This past year, Anquan Boldin, became the 3rd Seminole to win the Award. A school with a "culture problem" somehow managed to produce the most people worthy of being the greatest humanitarian in the NFL for that season. My favorite current football player won this award for the incredible amount that he does for his community. Sure is incredible since his school has such great culture problems,

So what?
You have 3 fantastic people that have come out of the school. That does not erase all the bad stuff they have done. Okay, let's look at every little issue since the "free shoes." We already talked about that issue already.

Randy Moss never played a game for Florida State. The school decided to give him a second chance after he was kicked off the team at Notre Dame, but he was unable to ever suit up for the Noles and was kicked out of the school after failing a drug test.

September 29, 1999, Laveranues Coles and Peter Warrick received $412.38 clothing for $21.40 after a friend of theirs illegally discounted the clothes. While obviously we all see this as horrible, I can see how a college kid sees nothing wrong with this. Warrick was suspended until the end of the investigation (2 games) while Coles was kicked off the team. The media would have you believe it is a double standard and that Warrick got special treatment Coles did not. What they won't report is that Coles was already on probation from the team for previous academic and legal issues. To that point Warrick had made no mistakes and 2 games seemed an adequate consequence for a college kid.

Travis Johnson in 2003 was accused of sexual battery by a female athlete. An all female jury acquitted Johnson after less than 30 minutes of deliberation. The case was pursued all the way to court though by State Attorney Willie Meggs.

Adrian McPherson tried to write a check to his friend forging someone else's name on November 18, 2002. Immediately upon hearing about the situation, Bobby Bowden kicked McPherson off the team. He was arrested and charged with felony grand theft on November 27. This was their starting QB and a guy that was 3-0 before his poor choice. McPherson was then charged with gambling in 2003 and bounced between the arena league and the NFL bench. Having nothing to do with this story, McPherson is currently the starting QB for the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL.

AJ Nicholson was removed from the roster for the bowl game against Penn State in the 2006 Orange Bowl. The suspension was for an alleged sexual assault at the team hotel. When asked about the incident, Joe Paterno said "a pretty girl comes to your room, what are you supposed to do?" That quote by JoePa should tell you all you need to know about Bowden v. Paterno.

The Seminoles had an athletic cheating scandal across multiple sports that rocked the athletic department in 2007. What most people don't tell you though here is that it was an academic tutor that provided the athletes the benefits. The athletes were immediately suspended. There was also no coach that had any knowledge of wrongdoing. Most important to realize though is that FSU self reported the violation to the NCAA and enacted scholarship restrictions on their own! Quite embarrassing that this happened at all, but I am proud that the university took the accountability up themselves and self reported. They enacted some consequence on the athletic department immediately.

Preston Parker was kicked off the team due to legal issues.

Greg Reid was kicked off the team due to legal issues.

Greg Dent was kicked off the team due to legal issues.

Jimbo Fisher has kicked off every person that has had serious legal issues. He has let investigations finished when we did not know all the facts. Fisher also maintained that his players were innocent until proven guilty. Fisher has run a clean program and never had a team put on probation.

So let's be honest about what this is about. You people hate Jameis Winston and think he got away with something.

Let's take a look at Mr. Winston's past then.....
Jameis Winston became public enemy in 2013 when he was accused of rape. Almost a full year after the alleged rape actually happened and multiple extortion attempts. Jameis has not been charged by anyone that has reviewed this case. Not FSUPD, not TPD, not the state attorney, not a former supreme court justice in the state. He was not only never convicted of this alleged crime. He was not even charged with wrongdoing at all in this case. Not even in a code of conduct hearing by one of the most respected justices in Florida history. A judge that was chosen in agreement by the accuser.

There is other stuff he did though!

Sure, Jameis Winston shot BB guns, got a hookup at Publix for crabs that went wrong, and cursed in public. A college kid did college things. I have friends all across the country going to different schools, this stuff happens every hour on college campuses. Does not excuse what happened, but let's not crucify the guy. He was suspended for the crab legs and did community service and was suspended for cursing. Let it be. The guy has NEVER BEEN ARRESTED OR CHARGED. There are a lot worse characters than Jameis Winston playing this great game.

To assume some massive conspiracy involving Winston and/or FSU is insulting to far too many well respected and honorable people. You can believe FSU athletics, FSUPD, TPD, the State Attorney's office, justices, and lawyers all over the state or you can believe someone that changed her account multiple times and tried to extort money from Mr. Winston. Hopefully, you don't choose the latter.

Karlos Williams was another name frequently mentioned by the media. He was allegedly involved in a domestic abuse complaint, but no charges were filed and thus the case was dropped. Williams was also mentioned in some drug case, but it was only as some guy that the guilty guy knew. I know a few people from my HS that got arrested and are thus guilty too, we all do. This does not mean that Williams should be accountable for that in any way.

Dalvin Cook was accused of assaulting a woman outside of a club. However, after an incredibly suspect 911 tape was released and all the proof leading toward the woman lying, Dalvin Cook was declared not guilty in the court of law during a very short trial.

Shortly before the Cook situation arose, backup QB De'Andre Johnson was dismissed from the football team. Video was released of Johnson assaulting a female at a nightclub and he was dismissed immediately after proof of guilt.

And now, the Mario Pender issue happened. This is a very detailed history of the issues with Florida State Football Players, but let's not forget two important things....

1) State Attorney William Meggs
Meggs is well known as being a no nonsense district attorney that will prosecute to the furthest extent of the law. He also has a reputation as being more difficult on those involved with Florida State Athletics than the general population. Despite this though, critics will have you assume that Meggs covered up for the Seminoles and especially for Jameis Winston during his time as district attorney. Ignore the countless times he has tried to take down Seminole athletes, he is obviously a plant by the athletic department. That is why he pursued a rape charge against Travis Johnson with no evidence of wrongdoing, correct? Maybe he didn't pursue the case against Winston because Jameis is 100% innocent and even he realized any attempt to pursue the case would be futile.

2) No Seminoles Ever in Trouble in the League
Isn't it amazing that a team with this much alleged protection in Tallahassee and so many players drafted, never has an alumni with issues in the league. These guys are never in trouble outside of Tallahassee. Seriously, never! If the protection is so great, they'd have to get in trouble somewhere once they left that protection and enabled behavior. There are no cases though were Seminoles get into trouble in the league. Unless you count Randy Moss who never played a game for FSU or RB Sammie Smith who was drafted way back in 1989 there have been zero discipline issues involving people that came from FSU's program once they left FSU.

The facts are quite the opposite of what you would think of a school with a "culture problem." Instead of getting into trouble, FSU football players are winning awards for community service. If FSU has a "culture problem", I know a few other schools that could use a "culture problem." Let's help these other schools develop the incredible human beings that Florida State does.

In the interest of full disclosure before uncovering this information I will give my background and admit some bias (which most non-Seminoles do not do). I am a Florida State alum. I graduated in 2009 with a degree in Sports Management and came back to the school to get my Masters in Physical Education in 2011. Additionally, I met my wife at Florida State and that has just added to the fact that the school has held a special place in my heart my entire life. Now, knowing full well that I have been a Seminole fan my entire life and by reading this article, you can see things through my perspective.

-Noland

Noles in NFL Training Camps

Florida State has quite the list of NFL players on current rosters. The list is about as impressive a list as humanly possible from one school. It of course was bolstered by a NFL record number of draftees over the past few drafts. Jimbo Fisher has done outstanding with player development and getting guys ready for the NFL. This list will help prove that. It is also a way to see which Noles will be doing what in the recently started training camps.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

We start with the team that has become a pipeline for FSU. The Buffalo Bills have drafted several FSU players in the past including multiple draft selections in 2015 from Florida State. I will take a look at the list alphabetically and describe what each player will be competing for in training camp. The Bills have 9 Seminoles on their training camp roster which is more than any other team.

Nigel Bradham

The fourth year pro out of Crawfordville, FL is one of Bobby Bowden's most memorable final recruits. He was a hard-hitting linebacker in college and that has not changed in the pros. The only thing that has changed with Bradham is that he has become an even more disciplined players. One of the leaders and best players on Buffalo's defense, Bradham will be starting again in 2015. He will look to build off of last season where he had 104 tackles before his season was cut short due to injury.

Ronald Darby

The 50th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft has made an early impression at camp. All signs seem to be pointed towards Darby earning a starting job for his efforts in camp. He is competing for a starting cornerback spot and has been said to be the best cover corner that Buffalo has got so far. Should Leodis McKelvin's ankle injury linger, it makes it more likely that Darby will be a starting corner for Buffalo. The Bills best option though is for Darby snd McKelvin to be starting next to each other. 

Andre Fluellen

Fluellen is a 7 year journeyman that is looking to make the 53 man roster. There is no chance of him starting barring an injury as Buffalo has one of the most dominant defensive lines in football. There is a somewhat decent chance of him making the 53 man though.

EJ Manuel

The most interesting battle in this camp and perhaps in any camp is the QB battle here in Buffalo. This battle will be between Matt Cassell, Tyrod Taylor and former Seminole EJ Manuel. You saw in my post last week who I think will win the job. I still say Manuel wins the job and has an outstanding season, but there is a possibility that is not the case. The other two quarterbacks were not brought in to just back him up. They were brought in to compete for the starting quarterback job with Manuel. It is put up or shut up time for EJ and hopefully he seizes the opportunity.

Nick O'Leary

Nick O'Leary was my favorite Seminole this past season besides the QB. I really enjoyed him over his career as a Nole. He is competing for a spot as the #2 TE with 4 other guys. One or two of the group will be cut with the others getting some serious playing time most likely. O'Leary is coming off the devastating torn hamstring suffered in the Rose Bowl warmups. That injury seriously impacted his performance in that game, but he showed a great deal of toughness in powering through. Now that he is healed, he will need that toughness and then some to win some PT in the league.

Garrison Sanborn

Sanborn has done a fantastic job as the Bills long snapper and will be their distance snapper again in 2015.

Karlos Williams

Karlos Williams is competing for carries as the number 3 RB behind LeSean McCoy and Fred Jackson. He is also competing to take a few goal line carries. It is all but assured that he will be that 3rd back for the Bills. With Jackson currently injured though, there is a chance that Williams can move as high as the #2 RB.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins surprisingly have no Florida State Seminoles on their Training Camp roster.

New England Patriots

The Patriots won the Super Bowl last year with FSU rookie Bryan Stork as the starting center, Stork is joined on the offensive line currently by a former FSU teammate. This makes 2 Seminoles on the Patriot training camp roster.

Tre Jackson

Rookie Tre Jackson reunites with Stork and is competing to win a starting job. Jackson looks to not only start, but have the same impact that Stork had in 2014. The two make a powerful duo and Jackson is glad to reunite with Stork in New England. FSU's most consistent offensive lineman last season looks to start in New England.

Bryan Stork

Started last year and won a Super Bowl ring. After winning a national championship and a Super Bowl ring in a little over a year, nothing should change in the playing time department for Stork.

New York Jets

After a poor season saw their coach receive a pink slip, the Jets upgraded and added a Seminole to the team. They have just that one Seminole in camp.

Antonio Cromartie

Bad at keeping track of his kids, but good at keeping track of receivers. I enjoy Cromartie and his play on the field, but I am embarassed by his lack of parenting off of it. As one of the better corners in the league though, there is no doubt that Cromartie will start.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

Some Ravens rookies played huge roles for the Ravens in 2014 and those roles look to expand in the coming season. Those two Seminoles will look to get the Ravens another Super Bowl ring.

Terrance Brooks

Following an injury, Terrance Brooks is buried on the depth chart. He faces the possibility of being a roster casualty although I don't expect that to happen. There is still a chance that Brooks can compete for a starting job too, but that seems unlikely given his current position on the depth chart. Unfortunately for him, his NFL career may need to take flight somewhere else.

Timmy Jernigan

Timmy Jernigan seemed to have a very solid rookie season and really emerged in the playoffs. Now, with Haloti Ngata gone, he will really take center stage. Jernigan is going to start for the Ravens this season and they need him to play well. The team is really going to rely on a big season from the big man. Let's be honest too, there a few better to take that spotlight.

                                                                Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals only have 1 Seminole on their training camp roster and its a guy that had no impact in 2014.

James Wilder Jr.

Wilder is a guy that is loaded with talent and potential. If there was a recruit Jimbo had that was expected to do more, but didn't quite pan out, it is Wilder. However, Wilder has still been successful and had a decent career at FSU. While he did disappoint slightly at FSU everyone associated with the Noles would not be surprised of a breakout from Wilder. We are all rooting for it. Wilder is fighting for a spot on the 53 and a chance to make an impact.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns have one of the worst offensive rosters in football. One thing that Browns do have working for them though is that they have four Seminoles on their training camp roster.

Cameron Erving

Erving is competing for and will likely win an offensive line starting spot. He is likely to be the starting center for Cleveland. His versatility sure helps him and the Browns.

Kevin Haplea

Haplea is an unknown because he got such little playing time at Florida State behind Nick O'Leary. He was a transfer from Penn State (after the scandal) that played in mostly blocking situations. He is competing for a similar role with the Browns.

Jacobi McDaniel

Jacobi McDaniel was a victim of the move to FSU's new defense under Jeremy Pruitt and the emergence of Timmy Jernigan while at FSU. He didn't get the reps he likely would have got in the previous defense that senior year. Because of that he has become a bit of an unknown. That being said, much like last year, he is fighting for a roster spot.

Rodney Smith

Rodney Smith has outstanding size and decent speed, but has yet to make an NFL reception in a game. That needs to change this year for the Browns to have success. This receiving core is pathetic. Out of that comes opportunity to Smith. I don't believe he is a candidate to start, but he is a candidate to make the roster and get playing time because the Browns other options are that bad.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers in many ways have been the model NFL Franchise. Behind their recent success and their Super Bowl runs, they have had Seminoles starting for the team. That will be no different in 2015. The Steelers have 2 Seminoles on their training camp roster and both will likely start.

Lawrence Timmons

Timmons showed incredible play making ability last year in recording 134 tackles for Pittsburgh. Following the retirements of Troy Polomalu and Ike Taylor, he is likely now the leader of the defense as well. There is no doubt that Timmons will start in 2015 and that he will make an impact.

Vince Williams

Williams has been a starter in parts of each of his first two seasons. This season, Williams looks to be a full time starter for the first time in his NFL career. He is hoping to equal or better his 96 career tackles in just this one season. Two Seminoles starting on the same unit in the pros for a contending team is an incredible accomplishment.

AFC South

Houston Texans

The Texans only have 1 Seminole in training camp and he might be a longshot to make the roster.

Terrance Parks

Terrance Parks played in just one game for Seattle last season and made no impact. Getting a fresh start in Houston is nice, but he will have to put in a lot of work to make the 53 man roster.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are a trendy Super Bowl pick for a lot of media outlets this season. They employ one starter from Florida State and he is the only player in camp from the Noles.

Bjoern Werner

The legend of Bjoern Werner is a fine one at Florida State and you could argue that he is still learning the game. You can still count on your hands the amount of years that Werner has played football. That means that he has a lot left in the tank and should continue to become a better player. Werner looks to improve on his solid 2014 and hit 10 NFL sacks for the 1st time in 2015.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have been awful for a while now, but seem to be headed in the right direction. This upbeat attitude about the future of the Jaguars is centered on an oustanding rookie class in 2014. That rookie class contained a Seminole. He is joined by one other Seminole in camp this year. 

Rashad Greene

Greene was arguably the most productive receiver in FSU history and part of one of the greatest receiving cores in history. That 2013 National Championship receiving core also included Kelvin Benjamin and Kenny Shaw. Greene's production likely won't be quite the same in Jacksonville, but he is a weapon. He is currently projected as Jacksonville's number 4 receiver and has an outside shot to be their number 3 guy. It could take some time for him to work into a starting role, but don't write it off from happening. Greene runs fantastic routes and has very reliable hands. That being said he is also incredibly undersized.

Telvin Smith

Telvin Smith played at a Pro Bowl level in 2014 as a rookie. Smith had 104 tackles, 2 sacks, an INT, a forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries. He did all this despite only starting the last 9 games of the season. Smith will start and in my opinion is the best player on the Jaguars defense.

Tennessee Titans

Remember that the Tennessee Titans are my pick to finish with the worst record this season. I see it as inevitable. They should have made the trade with the Eagles. They lack impact players from any school and that includes Florida State. They do have one Seminole, but it is the most frustrating player on the Seminoles roster.

Josue Matias

Matias was the weak link of the offensive line once Roderick Johnson stepped in last season. He got abused in the National Championship game by Oregon's scheme. It will be a surprise if he makes the 53 man roster let alone get any substantial time.

AFC West

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos are once again most people's favorites to win the AFC. That projection has absolutely nothing to do with Florida State. A Seminole could help land the team in the playoffs though.

Tony Carter

Carter has 3 career starts in 6 seasons with the Broncos and has spent most time as a nickel corner for the team. He likely holds that role again in 2015, although he could be the #4 corner depending on what happens in camp. Though he is unlikely to star, corner depth is critical as we saw in the Super Bowl last season.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs no longer have Rodney Hudson and thus have no Seminoles remaining on the roster.

Oakland Raiders

If there is one other team besides the Bills that can be considered to have FSU as a pipeline team it is the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders, who also seem to be headed in the right direction, have 5 Seminoles in training camp currently.

Mario Edwards Jr.

Edwards is the former #1 player in America and was a 2nd round draft pick of the Raiders after a disappointing final season. Edwards was mentally checked out for the Seminoles with an eye on the pros already. While it was disappointing, he did play a large portion of the season injured and he was still quite effective. There is no doubting the amount of talent and potential that Edwards has. He will likely compete for a starting spot with the Raiders.

Rodney Hudson

Hudson was the most consistent player at the end of the Bowden era. He has also been a solid player for years in the NFL and was instrumental in the Chiefs turnaround. The center got a big paycheck this offseason and was tapped into because Oakland wants to upgrade their offensive line. Hudson will be starting for the Silver and Black.

Sebastian Janikowski

Janikowski was the 1st in a now long line of FSU kickers in the NFL. He is joined by Graham Gano and Dustin Hopkins. Soon Roberto Aguayo will be added to the list. Janikowski is perhaps the highest profile of the list as he was selected in the 1st round for his big leg. He will once again be kicking for the Silver and Black.

Christian Ponder

Ponder gets a fresh start in Oakland after a rough finish in Minnesota. He will be looking to resurrect his career out West and is battling for the #2 QB job.

Menelik Watson

Watson came to FSU as a very talented, but very raw offensive lineman. The Raiders still selected him early despite him still being raw when he entered the NFL draft. Watson looks to start a full season for the Raiders now after starting in 12 games across his first two seasons.

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers look to once again battle for a playoff spot and will at least partially be relying on a Seminole to help get there.

Patrick Robinson

After 5 seasons in New Orleans, Robinson left the Saints to come to sunny San Diego and play with the Chargers. He has 33 starts in those 5 seasons and will try to compete for a starting job here as well. As of right now, he is projected to be the starter opposite Brandon Flowers. However, there is some stiff competition for that #2 corner spot.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are the reigning NFC East Champions, but it has nothing to do with any Seminoles on the roster. There are 0 Seminoles on the Cowboys training camp roster.

New York Giants
The Giants are always some level of threat to win the Super Bowl. They have won 2 of them since 2008. In fact, they have won the Super Bowl on a consistent pattern that would mean this year will be a Super Bowl win. This year is year 4 which would follow the pattern. To go with those 2 recent Super Bowls, the Giants have two Seminoles in camp.

Mike Harris

Harris was a consistent performer as a corner for FSU. Since joining the NFL, he has been a solid, but unspectacular player at the position. Harris has played in 36 games with 8 starts in his 3 NFL seasons. While there is an outside shot that Harris could start for the Giants, he is competing for a 2nd string spot and an assurance that he will make the roster. Harris could very well be playing for another team or on a practice squad again.

Bobby Hart

Hart had 37 career starts at FSU and had moments of brilliance as the right tackle. He is young and still has tremendous upside. All of that being said, he was disappointing at times and many were surprised to see him get drafted. I am happy he was drafted because it allowed FSU to break the record, but not sure he deserved it based on inconsistent play. The Giants are surely going off of Hart's tremendous upside and potential. Hart seems to have moved inside with the Giants which should allow him to be more effective. He is listed as the number 3 left guard though currently and is a longshot to make the roster.

Philadelphia Eagles
With all the crazy offseason player movement by the Eagles, it is insane to think that not one of their moves involved a Seminole. That being said, that is exactly the case. There are no Seminoles in Eagles camp. They will have to search for their 1st Super Bowl Ring Seminole free.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins have been struggling for years now and they haven't had an impact player from the Seminoles in years either. This year they have one in camp and it will be interesting to see what he does for the Redskins.

Chris Thompson

Thompson is the off-injured back from FSU that spent most of his college career sidelined by injuries. He has incredible talent and vision, but really struggles at staying healthy. On a personal level, I am really hoping that Thompson succeeds because he is one of the nicest football players that I have met. The guy is just a class act that everyone who knows him wants to succeed. You don't win football games and get playing time for being nice though. Thompson will have to really work to get playing time with the Skins. According to this report though, Thompson is emerging as the 3rd down back in Washington. The runningback looks to finally be catching on and getting playing time with the Skins after being mistakenly used as a kick returner.

NFC North

Chicago Bears
The Bears are a trendy pick to surprise people across the league this year. I don't see it, but then again I didn't see Christian Jones making a major impact with the Bears as an undrafted rookie FA. He did so well that the Bears picked up another Seminole early in the draft. These transactions gave the Bears two Seminoles in camp.

Eddie Goldman

Goldman was an early draft pick by the Bears after he had a very impressive final season despite being plagued by injuries. The Seminoles had few players as consistent as Goldman and he dominated the Clemson game. His late forced fumble helped the Seminoles pull off the massive victory. He joins a Bears defense that under-performed last season and looks to get back to a normal dominating Bears defense. Goldman is expected to start and should win a starting spot in camp.

Christian Jones

An undrafted free agent rookie last season, Jones was supposed to be one of the few players that didn't make a major impact off of FSU's championship roster. He was outstanding though and made a tremendous impact. The linebacker was able to crack Chicago's starting lineup and start 5 games for the Bears. There is no reason to believe that he won't compete for another starting spot this season.

Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have no Florida State Seminoles in camp.

Green Bay Packers
The Packers had a Seminole that made an impact on their near Super Bowl run. That Seminole is the only one in camp.

Letroy Guion

Guion had a breakthrough season in 2014 and started all 16 games for the Packers. He also made some outstanding plays for the Packers as a starter in the playoffs. Because of the stellar season, it is expected that Guion will once again be a starter for the Pack in 2015. 

Minnesota Vikings

One high profile Seminole in Christian Ponder has left the Vikings for a job in Oakland. It was best for both parties to move on that one. However, the Vikings still have one Seminole and its a guy that happens to be one of the best in the league at his position.

Xavier Rhodes

While Rhodes was at Florida State, he had NFL superstar written over him. The opposing team completely avoided Rhodes then because he was such a stud corner. It didn't happen the same way for Rhodes in the pros right away. That being said, it has happened. Xavier Rhodes is officially one of the best cornerbacks in the league and a guaranteed starter. Rhodes is a true shutdown corner and gives the Vikings a legitimate weapon on defense. He is the top guy on a now stellar CB unit after Terrance Newman and Trae Waynes have been added to the fold. At that position at least the vikings are set. The Rhodes are truly closed for opposing passing games.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are lacking Seminoles on their training camp roster. They are also lacking crowd noise and wins. That being said, they do have 2 Seminoles at the same position.

Devonta Freeman

Freeman was the starting RB during FSU's 2013 season and looked to be in line for some major carries for the Falcons before a small injury in the preseason. The same thing has happened this season, but should Freeman be able to recover, he could win the starting job. Freeman showed a lot of versatility and promise in his rookie season. He had a touchdown receiving and one rushing while playing in all 16 games. While he was not starting any of them, he got a lot of exposure as a rookie. The question for him at this point is injuries. He will need to avoid another injury to stay in the mix. Unfortunately, he already sustained a injury in camp and will likely miss another week due to it.

Antone Smith

I like Antone Smith, but he's hanging on by a thread on this roster. He is at best the 3rd RB and will really have to fight to stay on this roster, let alone get carries. In 5 NFL seasons, Smith has just 29 carries in the regular season. He needs to prove himself.

Carolina Panthers
The Panthers advanced to and won a playoff game in large part due to their Seminole contribution. This team still has the same two Seminoles in camp.

Kelvin Benjamin

Benjamin will always be an icon for Florida State fans for his national championship clinching catch. His performance against Florida that season likewise will always be remembered. He was Jameis Winston's big target and big play threat with the Seminoles. Last season, after being selected in the 1st round, he was the same for Cam Newton. Benjamin was a serious rookie of the year contender all year long. He finished the season with 1,000+ yards and 9 touchdowns. There is no doubt that he will be starting and contending for a pro bowl spot.

Graham Gano

Gano is a part of the now long list of outstanding kickers from Florida State University. This guy was loved for his incredible and unprecedented athleticism as a kicker. Back then, he handled punting and kicking, but now is only a kicker in the NFL. He will return as the Panthers placekicker for the 2015 season.

New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints added two Florida State Seminoles to their roster in 2015 that were not with the team last season.

Dustin Hopkins

Hopkins was the kicker after Gano at Florida State that broke several scoring records. The kicker is best known for the gold shoes he wore while at FSU.  He is now in New Orleans and will take over placekicking duties for the Saints.

PJ Williams

Williams had a frustrating and injury plagued final season at Florida State. However, despite that, he will always be loved by Seminole faithful for how he played in the National Championship win. This guy was unbelievable that game and has a lot of talent. The question after last season has to be whether his heart will always be in the game. He is competing for a starting cornerback job.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa only has one Seminole in camp.

Jameis Winston

Tampa only has one Seminole, but it is also the guy that was selected #1 overall. This Seminole is one of the true legends of college football. The former Heisman winner and National Champion has only lost one game as a starter in college. A total record of 26-1 as a major college quarterback is quite the impressive resume. It gets more impressive when you consider that he helped set a team scoring record during that 2013 National Championship season. The team was simply incredible both years he played. That lead to him being selected #1 overall because of his incredible football IQ and ability to handle the QB position right away. He has handled it brilliantly in Tampa and has already been named the starter for the season. Tampa is in a much better spot this year than last and it is because of Winston. His incredible moxie and potential has even led to some very high praise from his teammates.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have had a steady Seminole presence for years in Darnell Dockett, but Dockett has left this season for a division rival. That leaves the Cardinals with no Seminoles in camp.

San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers had a lot of player loss/movement this offseason with some unexpected player retirements. Those unexpected retiring players opened up some opportunities for others. Including in that other group are several former Seminoles.Now, there are 4 former Florida State Football players lining up in Cardinals training camp.

Anquan Boldin
Anquan Boldin is probably the best known Seminole from the pre-Jimbo Fisher era that is still currently in the pros. He was a spectacular wideout that was a team leader for the Seminoles. Boldin also played QB during a BCS Bowl game while with that talent. That exposure at FSU led him to be selected in the 2nd round despite concerns about his speed. Those concerns were greatly exaggerated. Boldin now has 940 receptions for 12,406 career yards and is a borderline Hall of Fame candidate. This past season was another 1,000 yard campaign for Boldin despite everything in San Francisco falling apart. Boldin was that one rock. He doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon either.

Tank Carradine
Carradine really emerged as a senior for the Noles and not until then. He made a major impact as a senior though until devastated by a late injury. The injury dropped him from the 1st round to the 2nd where the 49ers snatched him  up. He has been a valuable backup since then but stuck behind some very talented people on the depth chart. Carradine will work to crack that starting lineup in 2015 but it will be difficult.

Darnell Dockett
Dockett is perhaps the most outspoken former Seminole. This guy seems to chime in on anything and everything in the world of sports and beyond. He is one of the most talented to every lace up the garnet and gold, but also one of the most controversial. Dockett is famous for a Dillard's incident very similar to that of Peter Warrick. He received a very similar suspension from Bobby Bowden. Once he left FSU, he has stayed out of trouble and made a major impact on the field. He now has 40.5 sacks in 12 seasons and is anxious to get back on the field after an injury filled 2014. Dockett spent his entire career in Arizona, but just left to join the division rival and make his former team pay.

Nick Moody
Nick Moody was not as exposed as some other Seminoles in college, but gained a reputation as FSU's hardest hitter. I and many other Noles loved Moody and the way he played in garnet and gold. It was no surprise that Moody caught on and made an early impact with his NFL team eventually becoming a starter. With the retired linebackers that the 49ers lost this offseason, there is little doubt that Moody will be starting again in 2015. 

Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks have had two incredible seasons with no Seminoles on their roster, and nothing changed in that department this offseason.

St. Louis Rams
The Rams have a lot of new faces for the 2015 season, but the studs they had on defense remain. One of those studs is a promising defensive back from Florida State University.

Lamarcus Joyner

Joyner was the emotional defensive leader on a dominating 2013 National Championship defense for Florida State. Scouts were able to see that and its ability to transfer to the pros despite Joyner's small stature. He had a decent rookie campaign, but can get better and is said to be making progress, Joyner is currently listed as the #2 Free Safety for the Rams, but was drafted as a nickel corner. I believe that he projects better as a free safety and will eventually be the start there. It will be difficult for that to happen this season though.

-Noland