Watch: Joshua Kaindoh breaks “the rock” in recognition of impressive fall camp

There a few consistent themes that Florida State Seminoles football coach Mike Norvell has hammered throughout fall camp to his players: live for today, persevere and fight for the person next to you.

“Kids get caught up with the end in mind,” Norvell said Saturday, “And really, we want to focus on today, the stage that we’re in, whether it’s Tour of Duty, whether it’s spring practice, summer conditioning, now fall camp and every game of the season”

To hammer home that theme, Norvell has employed a symbolic exercise at each of his coaching stops (Clemson Tigers fans, look away): smashing a rock.

“Every player signs, every coach signs [and then] we get a chance to get a choose a guy that has really demonstrated throughout camp the proper mindset, the proper approach,” he explained during a Zoom call with the media on Saturday.

“When you accomplish that....when you get to smash that rock, it’s kind of just a physical stamp of a job well done and now we get to move to the next step.”

“This year Joshua Kaindoh was the guy that broke the rock.”

“[Kaindoh getting recognized is] music to my ears,” defensive back Asante Samuel Jr. said, adding, “When I see Josh is doing good, when he’s out there doing his thing, that makes my job easier. Josh is very consistent, he treats it like he’s in the NFL already. He prepares like a pro.”

“The mental makeup and his response to adversity in his rehabilitation there in the spring,” Norvell said of what impressed him. “I watched him even when we were working those few spring practices, whenever we were in our Tour of Duty, his engagement with his teammates and always being in the moment.

“I think that the potential he has for his future is limitless, I really do believe he’s becoming a well-rounded, I think potentially dominant football player.”

“The response from his teammates when I was able to call his name was pretty impressive. You can see the respect they have for him.”