The top 100 FSU football plays: No. 45— Ron Sellers, the precursor to Peter Warrick

Florida State receiver Ron Sellers’ visage in black and white is really pretty fitting. Not only does he represent a bygone era of Seminole history, he’s also a pretty cut-and-dried image of FSU greatness. There are no shades of gray needed in discussing Sellers’ importance to the ’Nole football program.

1967 started off rather tough for the ’Noles, as they began 0-2-1, following matchups with Houston (L), Alabama (T), and NC State (L). But the Seminoles then ran off seven straight victories against a daunting slate of Texas A&M, South Carolina, Texas Tech, Mississippi State, Memphis State, Virginia Tech, and Florida, prior to a Gator Bowl tie vs. Penn State. And Sellers played a huge part in that fantastic turnaround.

Last season’s Florida State football media guide still describes Sellers as “the most prolific receiver in FSU history,” and for good reason. Was he as elusive as Peter Warrick? No. But no other college football receiver has been either. Still, Sellers was incredibly productive and remarkably consistent. He was a consensus All-American in 1967, the year in which he made the play that’s the focus of this piece.

Our clip of Sellers’ ridiculous play against the Hokies commences at the 32-second mark, as part of an amazing highlight film. He shows amazing body control while getting into position along the sideline to make the grab, then throws in a juke to break free from traffic. Next, it’s pure speed, until Sellers shuts down the jets in the end zone. The Seminoles won, 38-15, in large part due to Sellers’ three TDs.

This play is really a microcosm of Sellers’ FSU career— he always found a way to make more of any given opportunity. Check out how he still stands in the Florida State record books:

• As far as single-game FSU reception records go, Sellers still holds seven of the top 12 marks. All other Seminole WRs, ever, have five. That’s insane.
• Sellers accounts for four of the top six single-game reception yardage games in ’Nole history. Peter Warrick has two— of the top 20.
• Sellers remains atop the list of FSU receivers for both catches-per-game in a season (8.6 in 1968), as well as career catches-per-game (7.07, more than a catch-and-a-half better than Rashad Greene, who comes in second).

Of course, the most impressive part of Sellers’ long-lasting standing atop the FSU record books involves the fact that he accomplished this in the late 60s, well before the passing game became so prevalent in college football and rules became so favorable to QBs and WRs.

The characterization of “freak” has become entirely too commonplace of late, particualry as applied to high-school recruits who’ve not proven a thing at the collegiate level. But Sellers was, and continues to be, an absolutely freakish and jaw-dropping record-holder in the annals of FSU history.