FSU linebacker Justin Cryer discusses return from season-ending injury, new scheme

Florida State's linebacker room is filled with a lot of talent but also plenty of new faces and a fresh position coach.

Robert Malcom | Mar 20, 2025

Aug 24, 2024; Dublin, IRL; Georgia Tech linebacker Justin Cryer reacts after their loss to Georgia Tech at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tom Maher/INPHO via Imagn Images / Tom Maher/INPHO via Imagn Images

In this story:

Florida State Seminoles

Preparation for the 2025 college football season is officially underway in Tallahassee, as the Florida State Seminoles kicked off spring practice Wednesday afternoon following the conclusion of their Tour of Duty winter workout program. While there are many new faces around the team, not only on the roster but amongst the coaching staff as well, there are also many returning players looking to bring championships back to Florida State.

One of those returning players is junior linebacker Justin Cryer. After working his way into a starting role last season, Cryer suffered a season-ending injury against UNC. Now, Cryer is emerging as a leader in the locker room looking to build on the winning culture instilled in the roots of Seminole football.

"Obviously I missed those last couple of games, and it's been a long road, but just being out here with my teammates again, it's probably the most fun I've had playing in a long time," Cryer said in a post-practice interview.

One of the major question marks entering the 2025 season is how new defensive coordinator Tony White's 3-3-5 defense will fare for the 'Noles. For Cryer, his belief in the system as well as White is strong, and despite the learning curve and challenges that come with the change, he believes the recipe for success is there.

"It's definitely a new experience going from one system to another and the drastic change is kind of something I've never had to do before, and especially in this system that I've never played, so there's definitely a learning curve that comes with it, but I believe in Coach White, I believe in the system. He has proof, everywhere he's been it's world, and I feel like with us, because of the type of guys we have on the team we can really take this thing a long way," Cryer said.

The 2024 Florida State football season is something that all followers of FSU football would like to forget, as the high expectations following the glorious 2023 campaign resulted in a 2-10 historically bad season, Cryer mentioned that the team decided to leave the past in the past and work to build a new foundation and live in the moment, rather than dwell on the negatives.

"All that talk is kind of in the past now. We all know it, we're not naive, we know what happened, but right now the focus is on growing. Like I said, this is something new defensively, especially for this linebacker room, because this is everybody's first time in this linebacker room together," Cryer said."

"It's coach JP's first time, our first time in the system, Stef's first time at Florida State, Ethan, the young guys, it's everybody's first time in this moment together," Cryer continued. "So the biggest thing right now is taking care of each other and going through this process together as we take the field and keep getting better day by day."

With spring camp officially underway, only time will tell if Mike Norvell and his football team can turn things around and return Florida State football to the top.

Stick with NoleGameday for more FREE coverage of Florida State Football throughout the offseason

Follow NoleGameday on and Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok