23 days to FSU football: All-American WR begins debate of best Seminole No. 23

The four ‘Noles on our ballot for the top Florida State No. 23 played four different positions in three different decades, but they have one thing in common: all four were drafted into the professional ranks.

We commence with receiver Jackie Flowers, we earned All-American nods in two seasons in the late 70s. In 1978, Flower was an Honorable Mention All-American per The Sporting News and the AP, while repeating those honors in ‘79 and adding second-team selections from the UPI and Football News. Flowers led the Seminoles in receiving and was a first-team All-South Independent choice each year as well. Flowers is tied for 14th at FSU with six 100+ yard receiving games and 20th with 1,697 career receiving yards. He was a ninth-round draftee of the Dallas Cowboys in 1980.

Up next is Seminole running back Travis Minor, who is the only player in Florida State history to lead the team in rushing four straight years. What’s more, he earned All-ACC honors in every one of those seasons. Minor burst onto the scene in 1997, when he rushed for nine TDs, tied for 16th best in a ‘Nole season; his 623 yards that year place Minor fourth, all-time, for FSU RBs. Highlighting that campaign was his 87-yard scoring run at Virginia, the sixth longest among Seminoles.

Minor made second-team all-conference in ‘97, ‘99, and 2000, while cracking the first-team in ‘98. His 14 100+ yard games are third all-time at Florida State, as are his 3,218 rushing yards. Minor’s 28 scoring runs are fifth most in a Seminole career. The Miami Dolphins grabbed him in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft.

Cornerback Byron Capers also put together multiple all-conference selections. He was a second-team All-ACC choice in 1995, and a first-teamer in ‘96. The following year, the Philadelphia Eagles made him a seventh-round draft pick. Strong safety Jerome Carter earned an All-ACC Honorable Mention in 2003; in 2005, we was a fourth-round selection of the St. Louis Rams.

The other Seminoles to sport No. 23:

• Leonard Melton (1948-1949)
• Ham Bisbee (1954)
• Jerry Henderson (1955)
• Harold Cummings (1956)
• Pappy Rozman (1957)
• John Sheppard (1957-1958)
• Fred Grimes (1959)
• Ralph Parkman (1960)
• Jack Forehand (1961)
• Jim Loftin (1962-1963)
• Wayne Giardino (1964-1966)
• Bobby Lent (1967)
• Don Pederson (1968-1969)
• David Eddy (1970-1971)
• Chris Griffin (1972-1975)
• Homes Johnson (1980)
• Tracy Ashley (1981-1983)
• Jerome McCoy (1984)
• Deion Sanders (1985)
• Pat White (1986-1987)
• Ray Gibson (1986)
• Bryce Abbott (1988-1991)
• Eric Black (1992)
• Shawn Gay (1993)
• Mitch Scharf (1997)
• Antone Smith (2005)
• Roosevelt Lawson (2006-2008)
• Chris Thompson (2009-2011)
• Jared Armstrong (2012-2013)
• Gerald Demps (2012-2013)
• Freddie Stevenson (2014-present)
• Ricky Aguayo (present)

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