Veteran Leadership Shines as Spring Camp Gets Underway: "They're going above and beyond"
“It’s no longer just a coach's standard. It’s a player standard.”
Those are the words head coach Mike Norvell shared with Seminole Boosters during his visit to Miami. With a nation-leading 87% production set to return for the 2023 season, the Florida State Seminoles have no shortage of veteran leadership on the roster. With that experience comes a certain expectation that the older players will impart their knowledge to the younger members of the team and drive that standard to great heights. Of course, the expectation doesn’t automatically become reality.
As coach Norvell notes, leadership and that veteran role is an everyday challenge that one has to take on day in and day out. It must encompass everything one does, from the tiniest of fundamentals to the largest of overarching goals. It’s an expectation that isn’t necessarily a given, and only time reveals whether or not that standard and that culture is indeed taking shape.
Luckily for the Seminoles, the standard and culture of veteran leadership wasn’t lacking as it took center stage at the commencement of Spring Camp earlier this week. Following Monday’s practice, Norvell took some time to speak with the press, wherein he encapsulated just how well he believed the team performed on the first day of practice. Norvell specifically called attention to the roughly 19 new faces that have acclimated quickly to the program.
"They're playing an accelerated installation here in spring. You got 19 guys, some in high school, some in college, that I think they've done a great job.”
Of course, he noted the installation would not have been as successful (or witness as few “busts” as they did in practice) if not for the player-led standard he preached about weeks prior. “(The performance of the 19 new players) is a testament to the returning players that have taken the time to bring those guys along, (they’re) going above and beyond.”
The sheer amount of experience, veteran leadership, and talent the Seminoles are returning in 2023 is striking. For a prime example, just look at coach Odell Haggins’ position group, the defensive line. With the likes of Jared Verse, Fabien Lovett, Dennis Briggs, and Patrick Payton returning, Florida State’s defensive line is a microcosm of just how impactful returning players can be for the team as a whole, and, according to Norvell, it’s something that has been prevalent in the early days of Spring practice. “You look at the D-Line drills, and it’s players coaching players,” said Norvell. “That’s what you want to see…All of those guys are trying to help each other be the best that they can be.”
Across the entirety of the defensive line, the ‘Noles stand to return just about 13 players from the previous year’s roster. Among those 13 are first-team All-ACC performers, an ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, a few multi-year starters, and some highly touted recruits from years past. We could probably spend the rest of this article combing through the amount of talent at the defensive end and defensive tackle positions (but we already did that in our spring position preview articles).
READ MORE: FSU Spring Position Preview: Defensive End
Among that talent is redshirt senior Fabien Lovett Sr., one of Florida State’s most experienced leaders. Lovett made headlines over the offseason when he elected to forego the NFL Draft and return to Florida State for the second year in a row, and he’s wasted no time making an impact this Spring.
“Fabien has done so much,” stated Mike Norvell. “He cares about this team, this program. I’m watching Fabien in D-Line drills. I’m watching him coach younger players. That’s a really good thing. Does he have to do that? No. But, when guys are willing to do uncomfortable things to help others, it’s exciting about where it can go.”
READ MORE: FSU Spring Position Previews: Defensive Tackle
When asked about coming back for another year, Lovett responded by saying, “I’m just growing, getting better, and helping the young guys.” He mentioned his series of ailments that kept him sidelined in 2022 and how that fueled him to pursue a full, healthy season in 2023, and how his decision to return was largely impacted by the decisions of Jordan Travis and Jared Verse. The thought of playing alongside Verse for another year excited him, but he also believes his return to be an opportunity to impact the next generation of Seminoles.
“I’m just trying to leave my legacy here, and being able to have the young guys say, ‘Yeah, Fabien was a guy that helped me out, helped me get started, helped me come along.’ That’s my role as an older guy.”
Fabien Lovett is just one example of an entire roster full of experienced players pushing the envelope this Spring. With just one week of practice under FSU’s belt, it’s a positive omen to see such player-led accountability and leadership taking shape at such an early stage in the season. It’s a testament to the strength of the culture that has been forged at Florida State following years of instability and undisciplined play.
Witnessing players hold other players accountable and hearing from the coaches themselves just how apparent that aspect of the game has been in just one week of practice is telling of how far along Florida State has progressed under Norvell’s tenure. Regardless of the talent, regardless of the accolades, regardless of the hype, it’s the fulfillment and realization of Mike Norvell’s words and his overarching message of “the standard” in just a few short days of spring practice that continues to fuel the excitement for the 2023 college football season.
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