Observations from FSU football’s Lift for Life event

For the third consecutive year, the Florida State football program hosted its annual Lift for Life workout, a light-hearted though nevertheless competitive event in which the offense and defense square off to raise money for the Kidz1stFund.

The events are not necessarily football specific: Pushing golf cars and weighted sleds, running with weights, flipping monster-truck tires, and a tug-of-war finale. The offensive and defensive lines match-up against each other, the quarterbacks and tight ends take on the linebackers, and the receivers and running backs face the defensive backs.

Included below are some observations from the competition:

• Defensive end Josh Sweat looks every bit the 250 pounds at which he was most recently listed. He also worked out without a knee brace.
• Also remaining brace-free: running back Dalvin Cook.
• Speaking of Cook, he continues to grow as an outspoken leader. After the offense trumped the D in one event, he could be seen making freshman cornerback Levonta Taylor drop and do pushups. DeMarcus Walker continues to show leadership on the defensive side of the ball.
• On the subject of impressive weight gains, new offensive lineman Rick Leonard continues to bulk up nicely. I also thought freshman DB Carlos Becker put on some good weight from earlier this summer.
• Frosh DE Janarius Robinson worked out with a brace on his right ankle, while WR Nyqwan Murray sat out. Fellow receiver George Campbell had a brace on his right wrist and a bandage over his right eye.
• Absent from the workout were QBs Deondre Francois and Malik Henry, linebacker Matthew Thomas, and safety Derwin James.
• Head coach Jimbo Fisher was quite pleased with the event, praising his team’s healthy competition, and describing it as “a group of guys that like each other.”

The event was a rousing success. Uplifting Athletes representative and FSU center Alec Eberle said afterward that more than $6,000 was raised. First-year Seminole Wally Aime helped Eberle organize the event. But to the question everyone always wants answered following this competition: who won? It can be tough to tell, since events all transpire concurrently, but I saw the offense come out on top more often than not. And it certainly dominated the tug-of-war. But see for yourself; I’ve included some video footage in the tweets below.