It's Top FSU Quotes Time Once Again

Here are some of the top FSU quotes that have come out, so far, from the 2011 ACC Kickoff meetings in Pinehurst, NC.

"This has been cool and it's been fun. I think that's the thing with life, you've just got to enjoy it. You can't get all tensed up and worry about things. I've got great teammates and to represent them, I'm proud to speak about my guys. And I'm looking forward to the challenge of the season."  -EJ Manuel

"I'm just soaking it in. I feel blessed to even be here and represent Florida State. This was my team ever since I was born and I feel blessed to be in this position. I'm going to take advantage of it."  -Brandon Jenkins

"I think he can [live up to his preseason hype]. If you look at him he has obviously gotten a lot bigger, his body's gotten a lot bigger.  I think he is at about 275 now, so that's going to make it even easier for him to get around those tackles that aren't as athletic as he is. I'm glad he's on my team and doesn't come around the edge to bother me. BJ is going to do a great job and have an incredible year. I think he's going to live up to that hype."  -Manuel on Jenkins

"He's a great person off the field and I think that carries onto the field. He's got great leadership, great character, and I think he's going to lead us very well."  -Jenkins on Manuel

"Not only does he have a physical presence when you meet him, he's got that 'it' factor. He's together, he's impressive to talk to. I think he's really ripe to step in as the leader for this team. That's why he played well when he got the opportunity [after waiting 3 years behind Ponder to learn the mental part of the game].  -Former FSU QB and ESPN analyst Danny Kanell

"I think I needed his energy, he's very energetic. He likes to get after it and come out to practice every day and work hard. I think I really needed that from him."  -Jenkins on the help he received from DE coach D.J. Eliot

"Coach Fisher just told me to not put any pressure on myself, just be E.J. He said if I'm myself, that's more than enough for us to be successful this year. And when your head coach tells you that, it's a great deal of confidence for you just knowing he has your back and he has a great deal of trust in you."  -Manuel

"It's a measuring stick. It's why you play those great non-conference games. We'll put our heart and soul into it, but win or lose it's not the season. That's where you can destroy teams by putting all your eggs in one basket, in one football game."  -Jimbo Fisher on the importance of the Oklahoma game

"Yeah it's a statement game. They'll apparently be the No. 1 team in the country so it has to be. We can't come out empty. We've got to be on point in everything. We're working up to that but we've got two games before that and we're going to be prepared for that."  -Brandon Jenkins on the OU game

I think we are more similar than different [in comparison with Christian Ponder]. A lot of people want to say I'm more of a runner and he's more of a thrower. But I think Christian can run the ball and throw the ball and I can do the same. But personality wise everybody's different. I wouldn't say I'm just like Ponder or anything like that but I think we are both intelligent young men and want to win." -EJ Manuel

"Florida State has tremendous athletes. Year in and year out Florida State is always going to have a good team. Florida State can say what they think but we have the rings, so we're still the best team in my eyes. They always say some other team. We know Florida State has tremendous athletes but we have a strong nucleus and we’re a true family."  Virginia Tech safety Eddie Whitley

"We'll see them in the ACC championship again. I'm not predicting it, but we really want to have a rematch. They have the rings, but it’s a lot of talent in the ACC. You can’t sleep on any team. There's a lot of teams you have to beat in order to get there first, but I’m pretty sure if we work hard enough we’ll get there."  -Brandon Jenkins

"Me personally I have no control over that, people are going to say what they want and have their own opinions. But I think that's going to be settled when we actually go out there and play. I'm not going to say "we're back" or anything like that because that would be taking respect away from those teams that were what Florida State is now. That's what we're working towards, and hopefully we do get to that point. I don't mind it, I can't control it. If that's what people want to say we appreciate it, but you also have to go out there and do it." -EJ Manuel on the high expectations

"Coach Fisher was an honest person [during his recruitment]. He told me straight up that he was going to yell at me and say whatever he wanted to me. A lot of the coaches made it seem like it was going to be fairy-tale land, that you were going to get there and it was going to be easy and fun. But it is not. Once you get out on that field it’s a war zone and coach Fisher told me that from day one. He told me he would recruit me,  but next year he would try to get the No. 1 guy.’’  -EJ Manuel

"We need to win more of our high-profile games with non-conference opponents. That's the one thing we haven't done enough of in recent years. We've done some of it, but not enough of it. For us to gain the kind of respect that we want for Atlantic Coast Conference football, those are the kinds of games that we will need to win going forward."  ACC Commissioner John Swofford

"Ever since my junior year of high school, I haven’t read any article about me, I don’t read any of that stuff. I don’t watch College Gameday and if I see it on TV, I turn it off. It’s not because I don’t like it, it’s the fact that I don’t want my mind clouded. I like my mind to be nice and open and free, and to get my information from people that know what they’re talking about. Not just people that have speculations. I’d rather hear from my coaches about how good I am. My dad reads it. I tell him, ‘I don’t know why you read that stuff.’ Because I’ll watch him and I can tell if it’s a good or a bad thing because he’ll either smile or get upset. It’s just part of being an athlete, all you can do is to continue to just be a good person and when people do get a chance to meet you, hopefully that will work enough for you."  -EJ Manuel

"I had no clue because I was just going out and playing football every day and working hard. Somebody came up to me and said, "Do you know how many sacks you have?" I was like, no."  -Jenkins on his 2010 breakout season

"Playing behind the 12th pick of the draft makes me feel a lot better about myself. We had a great class [2008]. A lot of guys got  to play early. It was one of those things that I had to grow up about. I knew I wasn't going to be able to play right away. I thought, maintain the course you are on and you will be successful.  Now I'm not going to say, 'Oh my god, I'm the starter,' and get nervous or freak out about it because I'm comfortable. I feel like I know what I'm doing so it's not a shock or awe thing for me anymore. -EJ Manuel

"That's why you want to be at Florida State. You want the expectations that you can win. We like our players and they are the players we wanted here. They're pretty dang-gummed good."  -Jimbo Fisher on the raised expectations for 2011

"Hopefully you will all say good things about me because you’ve met me. But people online, they don’t know me. I feel like I can be confident in knowing that if I speak well and do a good job in interviews that will be able to say something good about myself."  -Manuel

"I talk to Bjoern Werner and Tank Carradine and if I get double-teamed they've got to turn it on and go get them. That way there will be no double teaming.  The whole defensive line will just create pressure in the pocket and just cause havoc for the quarterback."  -Brandon Jenkins

"All of those guys are grown men. I'll tell you that right now. A lot of those guys are going to have big roles for us this year. Kelvin Benjamin is huge. James Wilder is huge. Nick O'Leary is a grown man. All of them. And I literally mean it, all of those guys are very mature. No knuckleheads. Obviously they're still young. They're 18-year-old kids but they're going to fit in perfectly. You've got to see how guys play and react to coaching and hostile environments, but I think they're going to be fine."  -EJ Manuel on some of the 2011 freshmen class