WarCunt.... Thank you

[TheNJNole]

15H AGO FOOTBALL

Clark: Rest in peace, Coach ... Thank you for everything!​

Corey Clark • Warchant
Lead Writer
I don't even know where to start with this one. So, I'm just going to begin typing and see where it goes.
I first met Bobby Bowden when I was 8 years old. He was speaking at the Atlanta Seminole Booster Club and my dad, a Florida State alum, took his sports-loving, floppy-haired son to the event to hear all about the upcoming 1984 season.
There are two things I remember about that night: Hearing for the first time in my life a roomful of people explode in laughter. Because, you know, Bowden. And then later in the evening, after the speech, my dad telling me to go up to the dais and ask if I could have the cloth sign hanging in front of it that read something like, "1984 Atlanta Seminole Booster Kickoff Dinner."
His point was they aren't going to use it again. It will probably get thrown away.
My counterpoint was, "Hey man, I'm 8. This seems like more of an adult request."

Bobby Bowden created a lifetime of memories for Florida State and college football fans everywhere. (Associated Press)
Anyway. As was often the case, my dad wound up winning the debate and off I went.
I approached the podium, all decked out in my Seminole gear (I think I was wearing a No. 12 FSU jersey -- shout out to Kelly Lowrey!) and asked one of the organizers if I could have the sign. Bowden was sitting right next to him and got a genuine laugh out of such an odd request from a small kid.
Alas, I was shot down, but I made the famous man chuckle and shake his head, and that was pretty thrilling for a third-grader.
As he was leaving that night, Bowden saw me and my dad by the door and walked up and put his arm around me and said, "I can't believe they wouldn't give it to you, partner. You be good now, you hear?"
And he walked into the night.
Over the next 30-plus years, I was lucky enough to have a lot more interactions with Bowden. But today I just can't shake this memory of him and my dad smiling at me that night in Atlanta in 1984. Two adults and a kid sharing a small moment of joy, none of us having any idea what Florida State Football was about to become.
Where does the time go?
How can it be 37 years since that night?
How can that be?
My dad passed away in 2011 at the age of 69. His all-time favorite coach passed away today. At the age of 91.
And in my mind, and I bet this goes for more than a few of you reading this, my father and Bobby Bowden are inextricably linked together when I'm thinking about the best memories of my childhood.
One was the most important man in my life. The other was the man who gave me and my dad so many wonderful memories together that 1,000 columns couldn't thank him enough.
I was 12 when the Dynasty started. Think about that.
Could there be a better age to be when the team you were born into becomes a dominant force?
I was 13 for the Puntrooskie. And I was there. LeRoy Butler was running right toward us in the end zone at Clemson that rainy afternoon.
I was there in Doak Campbell Stadium in 1989 when the Seminoles beat Auburn and Miami on back-to-back weekends. I was the one who pointed out to my dad that Dexter Carter had just dropped a penalty flag on Bernard Clark's head.
I was there at the Big House in Ann Arbor in 1991 when T-Buck started it off with the pick-6 and FSU dropped 51 on the the Wolverines.
I was there in 1992 for a whole bunch of those Ward interceptions and incredible comebacks.
And I was there in 1993 when Bentley made the kick, Nebraska missed, and we finally ... finally got to celebrate a national championship together.
I was 18 then. A "man" by the technical definition anyway.
But in reality, I was just a son. Hugging his father. With all the memories of the previous decade -- games won, games lost, and those countless conversations about our favorite team -- flooding over both of us as we came to grips that we (yes, we!) were national champions.
That hug lasted a long, long time.
We had seen some great Saturdays and some impossibly tough ones together (looking at you, Wide Rights!), but the most important thing, especially in hindsight, was that we were always together.
Florida State Football was great during the Dynasty. But man, some of those losses were just soul-crushing. Especially for a kid! My dad always made me laugh afterward, though. Always tried to find the positive. Always made me realize how lucky I was, even after a missed field goal, to cheer for the program I got to cheer for.
Mainly because of the man who built it.
I was never as close to my dad as when we were watching a Florida State football game. That was our time. We'd talk about the game all week, we'd talk even more on the drive down from Atlanta, and then we'd high-five and scream and chop for three hours as they (usually) won yet again.
These are the moments Bobby Bowden gave us.
That aforementioned hug in Miami on Jan. 1, 1994. That was because of Bobby Bowden. The thousands of hours -- and I'm not overestimating here -- we spent either talking about or watching Florida State Football were because of Bobby Bowden.
I used to wonder what our relationship would have been like if my dad had graduated from, say, South Carolina. Or Maryland. Or some other school that has always been mediocre at the sport. Would we have still spent so much time together? Would I still love college football? Would I be doing this job?
I have no idea. But I'm certainly skeptical.
Bobby Bowden gave me my love for this sport. I sincerely believe that. And it's not just because his teams were so good and so fun to watch.
What separates Bowden in my opinion from every other legendary coach that's ever been is that he was so dadgum funny. And nice. And approachable.
He was just a genuinely sweet person. He always smiled, always called you, "Buddy," always made you feel like you mattered.
Alabama fans are loving life right now. Sure. And I'm sure they love their coach. Just like Florida fans in the '90s loved their coach. And Oklahoma fans in the 1980s loved theirs.
The difference is, in my opinion, is Florida State fans loved their coach not just because of what he did on the football field, but because of who he was off of it.
That's the line of demarcation.
Think of all the great college football coaches in history: Bryant, Wilkinson, Rockne, Paterno, Osborne, Meyer, Spurrier, Saban, Bowden. Which one of those is not like the other?
Bowden proved you could win, and still be a human being. He wasn't a robot. He wasn't a jerk. He was hysterically funny and a sweet, sympathetic man.
He showed you could win -- and win big -- and still have a personality. Still sign autographs and take pictures and shake hands and ... and sometimes even try to help an 8-year-old steal a sign.
What Bobby Bowden did will never, ever, ever be forgotten.
He's the reason I'm here. He's the reason you're reading this.
He's the reason my childhood is filled with so many wonderful, postcard-like memories of my father.
When my dad first fell in love with Florida State Football, he could have never imagined that he'd one day be cheering for a dynasty. And that he'd get to hug his son, in an emotional embrace, one night in Miami after his beloved Seminoles won a national championship.
Or that later, that same son would end up one day covering that program as a sportswriter.
But that's exactly what happened.
And it's all -- and I mean all -- because of Robert Cleckler Bowden.
Thank you, Coach. For everything.
Contact senior writer Corey Clark at corey@warchant.com and follow @Corey_Clark on Twitter.
----------------------------------------------------
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[TheNJNole]

1D AGO FOOTBALL

Insider Report: DBs impress, could be a 'strength' of FSU football team​

Austin Cox • Warchant
Staff Writer
@AustinRCox12

The Florida State football team kicked off preseason practice Saturday with two sessions -- one in the morning for the veterans and another one in the afternoon for the younger players and some older backups.
In this FSU practice Insider Report, we address several developments from the two workouts, including the impressive play of the defensive backs, the happy return of defensive end transfer Keir Thomas, the strong debut from wide receiver transfer Andrew Parchment and more.
***Don't miss out on our great FSU Football and Recruiting coverage. Get your 30-day FREE trial***

Freshman safety Shyheim Brown (No. 38) and redshirt freshman linebacker Jayion McCluster take part in Saturday's afternoon practice at FSU. (Gene Williams, Warchant.com)

Defensive backs impress; Jarrian Jones out with injury​

One of the highlights of preseason camp is the competition between wide receivers and defensive backs. It typically begins each day with 1-on-1s, followed by 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s.
While the receivers won their fair share of battles in the 1-on-1 portions of Saturday's practices, the edge in the team drills went to the defensive backs, as there were multiple pass break-ups and interceptions.
“I thought it was good. I thought we had some good back-and-forth, some nice catches, some really good plays from the defensive backfield,” FSU head coach Mike Norvell said. “A couple interceptions that were created.”
The Seminoles' pass defense was not good at all during the 2020 season, but Norvell said he believes it could be a team strength this fall. He thinks the younger defensive backs who were forced into early action will learn from that experience, and he is clearly excited about the transfers who came on board this offseason.
“The defensive back group has to be a strength for us this year," Norvell said. " We’ve added some newcomers that I think are really going to contribute in a lot of great ways. ... That’s got to be a great unit for us. I really liked what I saw.”
One of the many players FSU acquired through the transfer portal is former Arkansas Razorback Jarques McClellion, and he had a particularly good day at the office Saturday, picking off one pass and breaking up others. The redshirt junior, who played cornerback at Arkansas but is working at free safety with the Seminoles, competed with the veterans in the early practice session.
When asked if he expected McClellion to be making so many plays to open up camp, Norvell responded, “Absolutely.”
“He’s a guy that started at corner for his first two years at his previous institution. Coming in here, being able to play free safety really adds to the talent, potential and competition at that spot,” Norvell said. “He definitely showed up today. I was really pleased to see him making plays on the ball.”
There was some injury news in the secondary as well.
The Seminoles were without redshirt sophomore cornerback Jarrian Jones on Saturday, and Norvell said that could be the case for a little while longer. He said Jones likely will miss the "first part of camp."
There was one happy return at the position as the Seminoles welcomed redshirt freshman cornerback Demorie Tate back into drills. The highly touted DB missed all of last season due to academic reasons, and then he was sidelined by an injury in the spring.
While Tate is not 100 percent healthy yet, he was able to participate in parts of practice.
“Demorie getting out there, moving around. He is going to be somewhat limited,” Norvell said. “A couple of those guys in the defensive backfield will be limited here for the first part of it.”
When it came to the younger defensive backs, one player who caught Norvell's attention on the opening day was freshman Shyheim Brown of Lake City.
“I thought Shyheim did some good things," Norvell said of the 6-foot-2, 205-pounder. "You see his length and his size at the safety position. It's impressive."

DL transfer Keir Thomas makes presence felt​

While much of the hype this offseason has been focused on defensive end transfer Jermaine Johnson, another pass-rushing transfer has flown slightly under the radar because he was held out of spring practice with an injury.
That changed on Saturday, as South Carolina transfer Keir Thomas was a full participant. It didn't take long to see why Thomas was a multi-year starter with the Gamecocks.
“It was good to get Keir Thomas out there this morning,” Norvell said. “He was somebody that we’ve been excited to see.”
With three years of starting experience under his belt, Thomas brought more than just a few pass-rush moves to the table when he joined the team. The sixth-year senior’s understanding of the game is what really has Norvell thrilled.
“He’s been so engaged since the very first day that he got on campus. Probably one of the smartest defensive linemen that we have,” Norvell added. “Maybe one of the smartest football players that we have.”
One day earlier at the Seminoles' preseason media luncheon, defensive ends coach John Papuchis shared a similar sentiment.
“Experience -- he has played in some huge games during the course of his career. Played in some big-time environments,” Papuchis said. “He’s going to bring experience, but he’s also a talented kid.”
When FSU was recruiting Thomas as a grad transfer, Papuchis said he received a great report from the South Carolina coaching staff. And in the eight months he has been in Tallahassee, Thomas has done nothing to diminish those expectations.
“I have good relationships with guys on that staff, and they all had nothing but good things to say about Keir," Papuchis said. "Both of who he was as a player and who he is as a person. Both of that has translated since he got here. He has a leadership quality to him. He’s a hard worker, he’s smarter ... I’m thankful he’s a part of what we’re doing.”

Split squad makes for efficient first day​

For the first few days of preseason practice, FSU is splitting the team in half, with the older players going in the morning session and the younger players and backups going in the afternoon.
“Give us an opportunity to see a lot of new guys," Norvell said. "See the growth of what we’ve done throughout the course of the summer. Some new guys that are just entering the program. Give them a baseline of where they’re at.”
While the first practice went at a faster tempo because virtually all of the players have been in the system for some time, the teaching in the afternoon session was a little more deliberate.
“The second practice was a little slower, a little more controlled, to kind of bring those guys along,” Norvell said. “I thought all in all it was a good day.”
Another benefit of conducting two separate practices is that more attention can be given to each individual player.
“Any time you can cut down the numbers like this, it definitely jumps on them,” Norvell said. “That’s kind of what we wanted to see here in the beginning.”

WR transfer Parchment already gaining respect​

If everything goes as planned, grad transfer wide receiver Andrew Parchment could be starting for FSU this fall. But on the first day of camp, Parchment joined other newcomers, freshmen and backups in the second session of practice.
And it didn't take him long to stand out.
After coming out on his own to observe part of the morning veterans' practice, Parchment shined in the later workout.
“Andrew Parchment’s not a young guy, but we wanted to kind of bring him along in the second practice just so that he can kind of get a sense of the morning,” Norvell said.
One of the two quarterbacks throwing passes to Parchment on Saturday, redshirt freshman Tate Rodemaker, said throwing with the former Kansas standout in the summer made him more comfortable.
“He’s done really good. Especially when we were practicing together without the coaches. He was out there every time,” Rodemaker said. “He was working with us the whole time. He’ll be a really good player.”
Fellow redshirt freshman quarterback Chubba Purdy also enjoyed teaming up with Parchment.
"He's got talent. I feel like once he gets everything down, he's going to be super good," Purdy said. "We're going to be able to use him a lot."
Added Norvell: “He definitely showed up real well here this afternoon. Obviously, we are going to have an accelerated process for him as he continues to jump into it.”
----------------------------------------------------
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[TheNJNole]

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The top contenders for the nation's No. 1 2023 CB Tony Mitchell​

VIP BySTEVE WILTFONG 7 hours ago
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Biggest Questions Around The SEC In 2021 (Late Kick Cut)

The 247Sports Composite’s No. 1 cornerback in the 2023 class Tony Mitchell dropped a Top10 over the weekend, with Alabama, Florida State, Clemson, Oregon, Texas A&M, Ohio State, LSU, Georgia, Miami and Florida the programs he’s keenest on.
Out of Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson, the five-star Mitchell is the No. 10 prospect in the country regardless of position.
“Those schools are the best schools I have a relationship with and see myself going and it’s a home environment for me and my family,” Mitchell said.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Mitchell took several visits this summer checking out Florida, Georgia, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Texas A&M and Alabama.
“Bama’s just always going to be a National Championship contender and they got Coach (Nick) Saban and they’re just the standard for college football.”
Mitchell said his visit to College Station blew him away the most.
“It was different out there in Texas, I really liked the school,” Mitchell said. “I want to major in business there and their top major is business. Just the environment in College Station, it felt like home.”
Mitchell added that the Aggies are one of the schools recruiting him the hardest alongside Florida, Clemson and Florida State. He elaborated on those programs as well.
Regarding the Gators: “I’m originally from Lakeland, my family has a lot of Gator fans. I really like Coach (Dan) Mullen and the new DB staff and I know a bunch of the current player, I’m cool with them. Florida is a good school.”
Regarding the Tigers: “I always liked Clemson growing up. Going back to freshman year I’ve always had a good relationship with Coach (Todd) Bates and Coach (Mike) Reed. They always treat me like family.”
Regarding the Seminoles: “Me and Travis (Hunter) are like brothers. I talk to him almost every day. Sam McCall, AJ Duffy, I’m cool with the 2022 commits. Me and Coach (Marcus) Woodson we talk almost every day and Coach (Mike) Norvell I talk to him every week and we have a great relationship as well.”
Mitchell has a couple visits locked in for September. He’ll get back to Tallahassee week one to see FSU host Notre Dame and he’ll return to Gainesville for the Alabama game on Sept. 18.
A decision isn’t expected until senior year.
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Top247 RB George Pettaway details top four, plans moving forward​

VIPBy BRIAN DOHN5 hrs
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Top247 running back George Pettaway has one more visit to make before he announces his college choice, and he hopes to get that wrapped up in the next month.
The Suffolk (Va.) Nansemond-Suffolk standout released a top four of Penn State, Florida, North Carolina and Oregon. He has been to each of the schools sans Oregon, but he is working out an official visit to the Eugene, Ore., campus for early in the season.
"It is going to be the first or second home game," the No. 7 running back in the industry-generated 247SSports Composite. "We are trying to get it set up."

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Pettaway made visits to each of the other schools when the dead period ended June 1.
"I just need to see Oregon," he said. "I have my favorites and all that. The decision will definitely be soon, for sure."
Pettaway previously spoke at length about his connection with Florida's coaching staff and how he could be used in various ways in the offense, and both remain big factors.
"It's everything," he said. "The coaches, how they could use me. Me being able to see it in person is what made Florida make the list for me. It's the same stuff I've been talking about, how they are going to use me, their roster right now, their depth."
Penn State, which hosted Pettaway in late June on an official visit, has commitments from running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, but he remains in contact with the Nittany Lions coaching staff.
"It's the relationships I've built with them, and the bond," he said. "I know they already have commitments from two running backs, but then again, they have two big backs. Nothing is official until everyone signs, so I am just keeping that open."
North Carolina is familiar with Pettaway, who made several visits to campus and knows players on the team and in the 2022 class committed to the Tar Heels.
"It's the relationships I have with them, coach Mack Brown," he said. "They just sent two backs to the league. It is hard to overlook that. It's close to home and it has a family atmosphere."
Oregon has long been on Pettaway's mind.
"That was my dream school growing up," he said. "I am going to go to Oregon in August or September, but that's my dream school. They've been in contact with me the whole time, building relationships with me. I have no idea (why they were the dream school), but maybe it was playing videos games, or watching college football and it was always them."
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[America 1st]

Cliffs?

 

[TheNJNole]

Cliffs?

I ain't reading that long winded shit kid....

@Croot_Overlord @Martin , why don't you summarize it and get back to us

 

[BLatta12]

This is a book...

 

[America 1st]

I ain't reading that long winded shit kid....

@Croot_Overlord @Martin , why don't you summarize it and get back to us

I didn’t wanna disrespect coach but damn about had a seizure looking at all that text.

 

[TheNJNole]

Gotta teach you poo says to absorb voluminous amounts of materials in a condensed period of time.

Stop bitching.....

 

[TheNJNole]

I didn’t wanna disrespect coach but damn about had a seizure looking at all that text.

Simpleton