39 days to FSU football: Who was the best ‘Nole No. 39?

That’s right: we’re officially into the 30s. It’s difficult to believe just how quickly our countdown series is going by, and today’s installment will pass pretty rapidly as well, as a rather short list of Florida State 39s have earn postseason honors.

The brief list begins near the onset of Seminole football itself, as guard Bill Dawkins, the very first FSU No. 39, earned a 1951 Little All-American nod from the AP. Next up: linebacker Reggie Herring, who was a second-team All-South Independent selection in 1979, and then a first-teamer a year later, when he was also a second-team AP All-American choice. 1980 saw Herring post 170 tackles, still the third-most in a single season in ‘Nole history. Herring is also third, all-time, at FSU, with 452 career tackles. And in 2001, fellow backer Marcello Church was an ACC All-Academic pick.

The other Seminole 39s:

• William Dawkins (1948-1951)
• Steve Vickers (1972)
• Jeff Ridings (1973-1976)
• Manny Carballo (1982)
• Ron Moore (1984)
• Brian Davis (1985-1988)
• Ed Clark (1989-1992)
• Melvin Pearsall (1993)
• Hank Grant (1994-1997)
• Ryan Sprague (1998)
• Chad Maedder (1999-2001)
• Tavares Pressley (2009)
• Joshua Thomas (2010)
• David Tyrell (2010-2011)
• Chad Colley (2011)
• Donovan Todd (2012)
• Bryan LaCivita (2013)
• Mitchell Zak (2013-2014)

And now, democracy happens: