FSU Fan Favorite to Miss NFL Season
After signing with the Las Vegas Raiders in March, former Florida State tight end Nick O'Leary will miss the season due to having heart surgery last month. It was previously reported that O’Leary would be retiring, but according to The Palm Beach Post, he plans to return after recovering from an angioplasty to reduce a 100 percent blockage of an artery.
O’Leary’s five-year run in the National Football League has tallies of 668 yards on 53 catches, with four of those going for touchdowns. He’s played with the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and Jacksonville Jaguars before agreeing to a new deal with Vegas in the spring. His best season came in 2017 with the Bills when he posted career highs in catches, yards, and touchdowns with 22, 322, and two, respectively.
Before being selected by Buffalo in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, O'Leary won FSU fans over with his gritty, blue-collar playing style. Not the flashiest 'Nole, O'Leary never shied away from the moment-- or the contact (see FSU at Clemson in 2013).
He left Tallahassee with 114 receptions for 1,591 yards and 17 touchdowns, a national title, the John Mackey Award in 2014, which is given to the top tight end in the nation, and All-American honors as a senior. It's no wonder he's so beloved by Seminoles fans.
Las Vegas placed O'Leary on the reserve/non-football injury list back in May, and he was expected to miss the 2020 season, and after inaccurate reports of retiring, the 27 year-old does plan to return to the field after all. The Raiders also signed Jason Witten in the offseason, who is expected to see backup action behind Darren Waller at tight end.
