62 days to FSU football: One Seminole stands out as the best No. 62

With 62 days left until September 5th, the day marked by Florida State’s 2016 season opener against Ole Miss, it’s time to look at the best players to wear No. 62 at Florida State.

62 is a vote that will likely not be a close one. Though there are a number of Seminoles who were recognized while wearing the No. 62, one stands above as one of the best offensive lineman in Florida State history.

That player is FSU legend Rodney Hudson. Hudson wore No. 62 for all four of his years at Florida State (2007-2010) and emerged as a stalwart member of the offensive line throughout his entire career. Hudson was honored in each of his four seasons with the ‘Noles, earning numerous Freshman All-American honors in 2007, breaking onto the FWAA’s and Sports Illustrated’s first-team All-America squads in 2009, and finishing his collegiate career on a high note by being named a consensus All-American in his senior season. Hudson also left an unprecedented impact on the Atlantic Coast Conference as he was just the second offensive lineman to be named to an All-ACC team in each of his four seasons and the first ever lineman to earn three first-team All-ACC nods. Hudson also added a pair of Jacobs Blocking Trophies, awarded to the ACC’s best lineman, in 2009 and 2010 to wrap up his historic career which finished with 48 starts over four years with the team. After college, Hudson was taken with the 55th overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Although Hudson is the only No. 62 who has been drafted after playing at Florida State, a number of other contributors are not to be forgotten. Offensive tackle Al Makowiecki was one of FSU’s first All-Americans, earning a NIAA first-team nod along with an AP second-team Little-All-American nod in 1954. Al Ulmer followed closely behind, registering honorable mentions from the AP and UPI in 1958 and the UPI once again in 1959 at guard. Linebacker Charles Ferguson was a second-team Freshman All-American for the Football News in 1978 and guard Jason Kuipers was a Sophomore All-American in 1986 before receiving honorable mentions from the AP in 1987 and 1988 as well as a second-team All-South Independents spot in 1987 and a first-team nod in 1988. More recently, offensive lineman Cory Niblock was an All-ACC honorable mention after the 2006 season.

The other players to wear No. 62 for Florida State are:

• Bill Brown (1956)
• Jim Sims (1960)
• Ron Hammond (1961)
• Bob Creel (1961)
• Steve Slay (1962)
• Gene Parish (1963)
• Howard Lurie (1964-1965)
• Dan Douglas (1966)
• Beryl Rice (1967)
• Theron Bass (1969)
• David Miles (1970-1971)
• Bob Jones (1972-1974)
• Abe Smith (1975)
• Billy McPhillips (1976)
• Bruce Harrison (1977)
• Eric Ryan (1979-1982)
• Pablo Lopez (1983-1984)
• Troy Sanders (1989-1992)
• Mike Miller (1993)
• David Walker (1994-1995)
• B.J. Dean (2001)
• Austin Barron (2011-2014)