Florida State and Mike Norvell hire former Florida Gators staff member
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State has hired Corey Fuller and Keiwan
Ratliff to its off-field staff, head coach Mike Norvell announced
Friday. Fuller will serve as FSU's director of football relations, and
Ratliff is the assistant director of high school relations.
Ratliff joins FSU after three seasons as assistant director of player
personnel at his alma mater. As a player, he appeared in 49 games with
27 starts from 2000-03 and recorded 133 tackles, including 7.0 for loss
with 2.0 sacks, 12 interceptions, 17 pass breakups, three forced fumbles
and two fumble recoveries. He was a Consensus All-American, SEC
Defensive Player of the Year, first-team all-conference and a finalist
for the Thorpe Award his senior year when he grabbed a single-season
program-record nine interceptions.
READ MORE: Former Florida State Defensive Back expected to join FSU staff
Ratliff, who also broke the program's career record with 860 punt return
yards, was picked in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft and played
eight seasons in the NFL. He saw action in 76 games as a professional,
making 161 tackles, 5.0 for loss, five interceptions, two forced fumbles
and five fumble recoveries. He is a member of the University of Florida
Athletic Hall of Fame and in 2021 was inducted into the Florida-Georgia
Hall of Fame.
He began his coaching career in 2012 as an intern coach with the Orlando
Predators of the Arena Football League and also spent time as an intern
coach with the Miami Dolphins working with defensive backs that same
year. He also founded the Rat Pak 7-on-7 program in 2012, which has
helped more than 200 student-athletes earn college scholarships. Current
FSU student-athletes Stephen Dix Jr., Gino English and Brendan Gant are
part of a group of nearly 20 Seminoles who played for Ratliff's 7-on-7
program.
READ MORE: Former Florida State assistant makes decision on Miami Hurricanes' offer
Ratliff earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from Florida in 2018.
Mike Norvell spoke on Friday morning about the two most recent hires with former 'Nole Fuller and Ratliff.
"I'm incredibly excited to bring Corey and Keiwan to our staff," Norvell
said. "They were remarkable players in college who played a combined 18
years in the NFL and since then have poured their efforts into building
up the next generation. Corey is a former Nole who will be a great
liaison to our former players and help showcase the Seminole Standard
with our current team. Keiwan has strong relationships in central
Florida, which is a critical area for us, and is passionate about
helping student-athletes succeed in all areas."
