FSU Quarterbacks Coach Tony Tokarz Discusses Tate Rodemaker's Improvement, Jordan Travis' Character
The fifth-ranked Florida State Seminoles will take on the Florida Gators this weekend, and despite starting quarterback Jordan Travis suffering a season-ending injury against the North Alabama Lions, the team's confidence in their ability to win has remained the same. A lot of the confidence lies in the hands of Tate Rodemaker, who has played the role of backup to Travis for most of his career at FSU.
While nobody in Doak Campbell Stadium was expecting a player to go down with a season-ending injury, let alone the starting quarterback who was widely regarded as one of the best players in college football, Rodemaker did his best to stay composed and understood that it was his job to guide the team to a victory. That is exactly what he did, as the Seminoles would go on to score 58 unanswered points against the Lions.
“With it being senior day already, there’s already a lot of emotion going into that game, and then, obviously, you never want to see something like that happen. Just knowing all the work that he’s put in and how much he cares about his teammates,” FSU quarterbacks coach Tony Tokarz said after Wednesday's practice. “I was proud about how Tate came into it and handled that emotional swing kind of back and forth and then was able to go out and have success and send our seniors out the right way.”
Even though the situation was less than ideal for everyone, Rodemaker used his time on the field to his advantage, going 13-23 in passing attempts with 217 yards and two touchdowns in the air. Tokarz noted that Rodemaker's stellar performance can be attributed to all the reps he has accumulated throughout his career as a Seminole, whether in a game or in practice.
“He did a good job. I mean, he went out, he operated the offense, he saw a couple of explosives come through," Tokarz continued. "I think Tate’s a guy who continues to get reps, and those increased reps throughout the season and throughout his career are showing dividends.”
Despite playing a different style of game than Travis, whose ability to run and extend plays with his legs has made him one of the best players in college football, Rodemaker is just as athletic, and the staff at FSU is well aware of what he can do on the field.
“I mean, the arm talent is evident. He had some pretty impressive throws, even just last week. He had a hash to sideline field comeback throw; that’s a big boy throw right there," Tokarz said. He’s pretty athletic, too, now. I mean, a lot of people just see a big, tall, lengthy guy back there, but he can move a little bit. Plus he puts out some good TikToks of some backflips every now and then, but I think the reps that he’s accumulated over the last couple of years, they’ve prepared him for this."
Even though Travis will be unable to play again as a Seminole, his role as a leader and teammate remains unchanged. Four days after suffering the injury that would end his collegiate career, Travis was seen on a golf cart at practice ahead of the big rivalry game.
“It doesn’t surprise me one bit. Jordan is somebody that always puts other people first, even when I went and saw him on Saturday; I’m sure you guys even saw it on social media and everything, too; he’s following the game, he’s cheering on his teammates," Tokarz said. "I’ve said it a million times before; he’s a special, special person because of how much he cares about other people and how much he wants other people to do well, and seeing him at practice today was awesome. It was great.”
The Seminoles will travel to Gainesville to take on the 5-6 Florida Gators on Saturday, November 25th. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 PM. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
READ MORE: Florida State Quarterback Jordan Travis Returns to Practice After Injury
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