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Now with only 40 days until Florida State’s 2016 season opener against Ole Miss, here’s a look at the best No. 40s in school history.
The race to be FSU’s top No. 40 is a completely open one. After all, three different Seminoles earned all-conference honors before being drafted and a fourth ‘Nole received an academic honor. However, no player sporting No. 40 at Florida State has ever earned so much as an honorable mention on an All-America team, showcasing exactly how close this vote could be.
Chronologically, the first No. 40 of note is defensive back Eddie McMillan. McMillan, who wore the 40 from 1969-1971, was one of the first African-American football players at Florida State. In 1970, he earned an All-South Independents honorable mention for his play in the secondary. After his collegiate career ended, McMillan was taken in the fourth round (95th overall selection) of the 1973 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.
The next No. 40 of note at Florida State is Bobby Jackson. Jackson played defensive back for the Seminoles and donned No. 40 from 1973 to 1977. Jackson’s sole honor during his time at FSU came in his redshirt sophomore season, 1975, when he was named a first-team All-South Independents team member. Although he earned no honors in his final two years with the ‘Noles, Jackson was a sixth-round selection by the New York Jets in the 1978 NFL Draft.
Florida State’s most recent No. 40 to earn a conference honor is defensive end Tony Bryant. Bryant sported the 40 for both of his two years at FSU, 1997 and 1998. Bryant capped off his career in Tallahassee with a second-team All-ACC nod in his senior season. After his time at FSU, Bryant was the first former Seminole taken off the board in the 1999 NFL Draft, going 40th overall to the Oakland Raiders which makes him the highest drafted of the Florida State 40s.
Even though his play never earned him an on-field honor during his playing career at FSU, it’s also worth making mention of linebacker Allen Augustin, who earned an Academic All-ACC honor in 2003, his final year with the team.
The other Seminoles to wear No. 40 are:
- Joe Marcus (1948-1949)
- Vince Gibson (1954)
- Joe Holt (1955)
- Larry Cummings (1956)
- Terrell Teague (1957-1958)
- Paul Pasquale (1958)
- Doug Williams (1960)
- Buck Carlton (1961)
- John Harllee (1961)
- Doug Messer (1962-1963)
- Lee Narramore (1964)
- Mike Blatt (1965-1967)
- Brent Gilman (1968-1969)
- Ben Graham (1972)
- Gary Henry (1978-1980, 1982)
- Manny Carballo (1981)
- Greg Newell (1983-1987)
- Terry Nettles (1984)
- David Bassett (1988)
- David Stallworth (1989-1991)
- Alonzo Horner (1992-1993)
- Lamont Green (1994-1996)
- Eric Moore (2000)
- Matt Dunham (2007, 2009-2010)
- Rod Roberts (2008)
- Kendall Fullington (2011)
- Parker Conley (2013)
- Danny Adams (2013-2014)