Florida State Football All-Time Lineup

The Florida State University football program is a younger one than, say, the tradition-laden giants of college football, such as Alabama, Notre Dame, and USC, or the old Ivy League-rs.  But with the introduction of a certain new head coach in 1976, the Seminoles of Florida State took an accelerated path to greatness, often marked by a huge upset win over juggernaut Nebraska in Lincoln in 1980.  Most of the great players to don the Garnet and Gold have come since that time, so an All-Time FSU Team is on a far more condensed scale than is the case at many other schools.  Nonetheless, the players that made my list are there because they were truly great during their college careers, on a national level, and over the course of more than just one season.  A couple of these players could easily be the best that have ever played at their position at the college level.  Most of these players went on to (or are still enjoying) extremely successful careers after their college success.

Let us begin with the offensive line.

The anchor of the All-Time FSU O-Line is its only two-time All-American, center Clay Shiver.  As a sophomore, he allowed only 1/2 a sack on quarterback Charlie Ward, and was given the Jacobs Trophy the next 2 years as the best blocker in the ACC.  Guards Jamie Dukes and Jason Whitaker were also All-Americans for their respective 'Nole teams, and Whitaker won a championship in 1999 with arguably one of the top 10 teams in college football history.  Alex Barron and Walter Jones are, in my opinion, the most dominant tackles to play for the 'Nole line.  Both were, again, All-Americans, and selected in the NFL Draft's first round (Jones: #6 Overall, 1996; Barron:  #19 Overall, 2005).

The best tight-end in FSU's history must without a doubt be Pat Carter, All-American Honorable Mention in 1986 and All-American in 1987.  Consistency was the theme of his career with the Noles.

The 2 All-Time Quarterbacks at FSU are, obviously, it's only 2 Heisman winners and national champions Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke.  Charlie Ward had a historic career, making big play after big play, using his legs as well as his arm.  His national championship performance against the greatest option quarterback of all time, Nebraska's Tommy Frazier, was demonstrative of his poise and accuracy as a passer, while his mobility made defenses gameplan around him completely.  Oh, and he decided to go play in the NBA after college.  He was FSU's best quarterback overall, and was surrounded by some of the best players Tallahassee has seen.  Weinke was also surrounded by a phenomenal cast, appearing in three straight national championship games.  The first, however, was an unfortunate one for Weinke, who had broken vertebrae from a cheap hit in the Virginia game near the end of the 1998 season.  Had he been healthy, the Seminoles would most likely boast three championships, instead of two.  His accuracy and poise as a pro-style pocket passer came partly from his maturity, as he came in to Florida State as a 25-year-old freshman following a stint in professional baseball.  Ward and Weinke are icons of FSU's most recent greatness, playing during the most dominant decade ever displayed by one school in college football.

The Seminoles are rarely recognized as a rushing team, but some of the tailbacks at FSU stand out.  Of course, the explosive Warrick Dunn is the first name that would come to the mind of most, as an All-American in 1996 and because of his perennial knack for frustrating the Florida Gators.  But the all-time leading rusher at FSU is Greg Allen, a two-time All-American in 1983 and 1984.  Seriously:  322 rushing yards in a game against Western Carolina (400 all-purpose, an NCAA record at the time).  Also another multi-sport athlete, Allen was a solid track athlete, and was clocked at running a 4.28 40.

The Noles have also had a few monster fullbacks, namely "Pooh Bear" Williams and William Floyd.  I give the nod to Floyd, who won a championship in 1993 and was drafted in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft by San Francisco.  He had great field vision as a runner with 16 career TD's, and added 4 receiving TD's, while also blocking for Charlie Ward.

The Noles have enjoyed hosts of phenomenal wide receivers in its recent history, and many made it to the NFL, like Anquan Boldin, Marvin "Snoop" Minnis, Kez McCorvey (All-American), Ron Dugans, E.G. Green, and Javon Walker.  While that is a pretty impressive list, I would put them as "honorable mentions" on my All-Time Seminole team.  First mention must be given to Fred Biletnikoff, for whom the award for the best college receiver in the nation is named; he was also FSU's first All-American selection in 1964.  But the most prolific receiver in the Seminole tradition was Ron Sellers, also before the Bowden days, a two-time All-American in 1967 and 1968.  Lawrence Dawsey, a 1990 All-American and the current receivers coach at FSU, is third all-time behind Biletnikoff and Sellers in yards, and hauled in 20 receiving TD's over his 4-year career.  And finally, one of the most exciting football receivers of all time, came in the dynasty years, and was the MVP of the national championship victory over Virginia Tech.  Peter Warrick accounted for 3 TD's in that game alone, and most likely would have been the Heisman front-runner if it had not been for a three game suspension for accepting discounts at a local mall store.  One play, at the end of the first half of a game against Louisiana Tech, sums up the frustrations defenders had when dealing with Warrick, as he ran seemingly 75 yards back and forth across the field and then into the end-zone for a 20 yard touchdown.  He capped his career with a miraculous touchdown catch against the Hokies, in spite of the defensive pass interference called on the play.

Selecting the best defensive backs ever from FSU is juicy.  This group is loaded with all-world talent, and is arguably the best group that could possibly be assembled from one school.  We start with none other than Prime-time himself, Mr. Deion Sanders, the greatest cornerback in college football history.  Stat support is unnecessary.  We just know.  I mean, a three-time All-American?  Is he real?  But then, with the likes of Terrell Buckley and LeRoy Butler, I would challenge anyone to throw on any of these guys.  Michigan fans certainly will remember Desmond Howard's rough day in 1991, being paired against Buckley in FSU's thrashing of the Wolverines in the Big House.  But Heisman-winner Howard, definitely on Michigan's All-Time Team, did make a few great plays in that game.  Butler is best remembered for the "Puntrooskie" play against Clemson in '88, but he supports his case here with one of the most receiver-repellent careers in Tallahassee, with 9 interceptions and almost 200 tackles.  He was an '89 All-American and went on to a successful NFL career with Green Bay.

FSU has a less "bling-bling" but perhaps more physically intimidating and powerful duo at safety.  Derrick Gibson was on that 1999 wire-to-wire championship team, and was as hard hitting as he was intelligent.  He accumulated over 200 tackles and 7 interceptions throughout his 4 years.  Standing alone as the only consistently dominant defensive back at FSU after those of the great teams of the late 1990s, hometown boy Pat Watkins knew how to deliver, especially in the 2005 ACC Championship against Virginia Tech.  Overall he had 10 interceptions, over 200 tackles, and a looming presence standing 6 feet 4 inches, weighing 200 lbs.

FSU can make an extremely strong case for the over-diagnosed tag of "Linebacker U".  It starts with arguably one of the best ever, Marvin Jones.  Accounting for 369 tackles in 3 years, he was feared by many as the hardest hitting defender they had ever seen.  He also won 2 national awards in one year, the Butkus and the Lombardi.  Derrick Brooks is perhaps the best outside linebacker the 'Noles have benefited from, and his leadership matched, if not outweighed, his play.  His effort in goal line stands against Clemson's Rodney Blunt and Kansas' George White summarized his determination, strength, and effect on his team.  Moving right along, to the Comeback Kid, Sam Cowart.  Before injuring his knee, he made 13 tackles including 3 sacks, in one game alone, against the rival Gators in 1995.  Then he missed '96 with injury, followed up by a Piccolo Award performance as a consensus All-America selection in 1997.  All three of these amazing linebackers enjoyed successful NFL careers, all with at least one Pro-Bowl selection (Brooks:  10 straight seasons).

The Seminole defensive line has been equally as fearsome as its line-backing corps, so FSU has arguable rights to "D-Line U" as well.  The throwback selection goes to nose tackle Ron Simmons, two-time All-American (1979, 1980).  And then there were the 90s.  All-Americans Derrick Alexander (twice), Andre Wadsworth, the Reinard Wilson/Peter Boulware freak-show of the mid-90's, and Jamal Reynolds (just ask Michael Vick) all made impressive marks at Florida State, and each is unquestionable on this team.  Honorable mention goes to Corey Simon, another Piccolo Award winner and off-the-field leader as well.

The All-Time FSU kicker position is not much of a battle, with a small pull from Scott Bentley for the game-winner in the '93 championship alone.  But hands-down, this spot goes to the Polish porker, Sebastian Janikowski.  Built like an offensive lineman, Janikowski could also kick the ball about 11 miles.  And just in case he let someone return a kickoff, the returner had to be careful not to challenge Janikowski to tackle him, because he would die instantly.  Or soon thereafter.  Not to mention, Jani's prolific field goal kicking career, winning the Groza Award twice and scoring 324 career points.  The All-Time FSU punter goes to its only All-American one (twice, actually), Rohn Stark.  And because of his effect on the special teams game, I am throwing in B.J. Ward for his ridiculous ability to block field goals (resulting from a vertical of approximately 320 inches).

So here they are, the All-Time FSU Football Team.  Imagine yourself as an opposing quarterback, staring into the hungry eyes of Marvin Jones, Deion Sanders, Ron Simmons, Reinard Wilson, Terrell Buckley, and Derrick Brooks, all at once!  Or as a defender trying to get past Walter Jones, or trying to cover Sellers or Biletnikoff while leaving Warrick and Dawsey each to one-on-one coverage!  Even if you do all that, Warrick Dunn is catching a perfectly timed screen pass from Charlie Ward for a 40 yard gain, so that you'll creep up on the next play for a substituted Chris Weinke's deep ball.  This team would be possibly one of the greatest ever from one school, making me proud to cheer for the garnet and gold, even in the tough times.

THE ALL FSU ROSTER

Head Coach Bobby Bowden

Asst. Coaches:  Mark Richt, Mickey Andrews, and Chuck Amato

C - Clay Shiver

OG - Jamie Dukes

OG - Jason Whitaker

OT - Alex Barron

OT - Walter Jones

TE - Pat Carter

CB - Terrell Buckley

CB - Deion Sanders

CB - LeRoy Butler

S - Pat Watkins

S - Derrick Gibson

QB - Charlie Ward

QB - Chris Weinke

RB - Warrick Dunn

RB - Greg Allen

FB - William Floyd

WR - Fred Biletnikoff

WR - Lawrence Dawsey

WR - Peter Warrick

WR - Ron Sellers

LB - Marvin Jones

LB - Derrick Brooks

LB - Sam Cowart

DL - Derrick Alexander

DL - Andre Wadsworth

DL - Peter Boulware/Reinard Wilson

DL - Jamal Reynolds

DL - Ron Simmons

K - Sebastian Janikowski

P - Rohn Stark

Field Goal Blocker - B.J. Ward