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To help the off-season pass a bit faster, Tomahawk Nation is introducing our new Mount Rushmore series, where we’ll be determining the top four Seminoles at each position.
Yesterday, we posted a poll for the Tomahawk Nation community to choose their top four wide receivers in Florida State history, and we’ll share the final poll results on Wednesday to reveal that position’s Mount Rushmore as chosen by you, Tomahawk Nation.
Today, we present to you the choices from some of our staff personalities below. These guys have delved into their considerable knowledge about Florida State Seminoles football, or quite possibly just threw darts at a board with Perry’s face on it* (we may never know).
Agree? Disagree? Let us know your thoughts on their picks in the comments and if you haven’t voted yet, hop into the poll below.
*Editor’s note: this board was not created for voodoo-related activities — rather, it was this year’s staff Christmas gift.
Who are the top four wide receivers in FSU history?
Matt Minnick:
Peter Warrick, Ron Sellers, Rashad Greene, and Lawrence Dawsey
There is a clear top tier of two guys for me at wide receiver and then a handful of others who could all make a case for the two remaining spots. Let’s start with the two at the top and first and foremost, an incoming unpopular opinion warning—Fred Biletnikoff isn’t one of them.
Peter Warrick isn’t just my top FSU receiver of all time, he’s my top FSU player of all time. Similar to Steph Curry with Golden State, Warrick’s sheer gravity just being on the field changed games for the Seminoles. There’s not enough space in this article to say all that could be said, so just check out this great write-up from our own LastNoleofKrypton during our top 100 player countdown.
Ron Sellers, aka Jingle Joints, statistically blows everyone else away, which is even more impressive when you consider he played in the 1960s. 86 catches for 1,496 and 12 touchdowns is a really solid college football career. Just ask 1st round NFL draft pick Javon Walker, who had 65 catches for 1,257 yards and 10 TDs in his FSU career. Sellers put up the 86/1,500/12 line in 1968 alone. And that national leading total came one year after leading the nation with 1,228 yards in 1967 when just 4 players in the country had 1,000 yards receiving. Sellers is tier 1, period.
Two down, two to go and the choices become a lot harder. Under consideration for me were (in chronological order) Freddie B, Barry Smith, Lawrence Dawsey, E.G. Green, and Rashad Greene. At one point in time, each of those 5 guys had the outline of their faces sketched onto my mountain, but in the end, I went to Dawsey and Green.
Greene had the advantage of playing in a much more wide-open era, but his penchant for coming up big in critical moments sets him apart. Add in the statistical prowess, which was accomplished despite sharing balls with Kelvin Benjamin, Kenny Shaw, and Bert Reed and it becomes a pretty compelling case. Some will point to the extra games played, and that certainly helped him amass bigger numbers, but durability is one of the best abilities a guy can have. And hey, this is about impact at FSU right? More games equal more impact, just the way it works.
Dawsey doesn’t have the statistical profile of someone like Greene, or even E.G. Green, but the man still has over 2,400 yards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns. But his inclusion is about more than just numbers. It sort of gets glossed over now, but the 1990 FSU team wasn’t quite the dominating machine of terror that most of the Dynasty teams were. The late 80’s teams that got the Dynasty going were arguably the most talented teams ever assembled in Tallahassee, especially 1987, and the 1989 team was clearly the best in the country by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the 1992 and 1993 teams were revolutionizing college football with an up-tempo spread offense. Oh, and 1991 spent most of the season ranked number 1. But 1990 was nothing like that. Despite being one of the easiest schedules FSU would play in the entire 14-year stretch, the Seminoles were just 4-2 in mid-October and didn’t look great in 2 of the 4 wins. It was a young team finding its way, dealing with a QB controversy, and lacking depth along the lines. The one constant was Dawsey. His route running, blocking, leadership, toughness over the middle, and catch radius helped Casey Weldon become “the guy” at QB and carried FSU down the stretch, finishing his career with 172 yards against UF and 107 yards against a very good Penn State team in the bowl game. Drop either of those games and FSU finishes outside the top 10, ending the Dynasty before it ever really got going. Dawsey wasn’t just the best receiver from the famed Fab Four, he was the bridge between FSU emerging as a top-tier college football program and FSU becoming the preeminent team of the 1990s.
And yes, this means I left off the guy whose name literally dons the award for the best receiver in college football. Which was certainly a tough choice. However, Sellers might honestly have an argument for that award being named after him. He played in a similar era and smashed Biletnikoff’s records. In fact, Sellers was inducted into the college football Hall of Fame before Biletnikoff was, despite finishing his career a few years later. So for my vote, Sellers gets the 1960s-era nod for my FSU Mt. Rushmore and Biletnikoff has to settle for having an actual, legitimate national award named in his honor. Not a bad consolation prize.
Special shout out to E.G. Green. When you can line up opposite Andre Cooper and Peter Warrick during your career and not only hold your own with both but rack up 2,900 yards and 29 TDs, you’re a darn fine receiver. Plus those socks!
NoleThruandThru:
Fred Biletnikoff, Ron Sellers, Peter Warrick, Rashad Greene
You may not know this, but I have a slight bias for the wide receiver position. Some might think that I had a horrible time deciding on my choices for this week because of it. Honestly, this was the easiest decision for me yet, as I believe these four guys stand alone at the top. There are some names I would have loved to include (E.G. Green chief among them), but in terms of impact and stats, these four are in a class of their own.
Biletnikoff literally has the award named after him despite playing in an era where passing wasn’t sexy. Legend status.
Sellers still owns most of the FSU record book for wide receivers, despite only playing in 30 career games. Legend status.
Peter Warrick was a human highlight reel who should have a Heisman under his belt, the diamond that shone brightest in an era where FSU skill positions were absolutely stacked with talent. FSU doesn’t win the 1999 Natty without him. Legend status.
Rashad Greene eclipsed all three of these men in career and single-season receptions and career receiving yards and is tied for second in single-season receiving yards (behind only Ron Sellers) and tied for second in career touchdown catches (behind only Peter Warrick). FSU doesn’t win the 2013 Natty without him. Legend status.
Jon Loesche:
Peter Warrick, Ron Sellers, Fred Biletnikoff, Rashad Greene
Warrick put the college football world on notice against the Clemson Tigers in 1997 and followed it up with a 1998 season that still ranks in the Top 5 for touchdowns and yards in Seminole history. He was the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in 1999 before getting suspended due to the DillardsGate fiasco. His insane touchdown run vs Louisiana Tech and Wildcat score vs. Florida are the kind of things Heisman Trophy reels are made of. His return as part of Bowden Bowl I and electrifying performance to secure a national title in the 2000 Sugar Bowl ultimately redeemed his status as the best WR in FSU history.
Ron Sellers was easily the greatest Pre-Bowden player in FSU history. He finished his FSU career owning every receiving record and set the bar so high that he still holds every single game receiving record in program history. Sellers per game average over his 30-game career: 7 catches for 120 yards and a touchdown. No one else comes close to that.
Rashad Greene was the workhorse of FSU’s most recent run of dominance. While he didn’t have the flash of other FSU greats his consistency and reliability more than made up for it.
Fred Biletnikoff is an interesting case. His legacy is certainly bolstered by his legendary career with the Oakland Raiders & eventually having his name attached to the award that goes to the best WR annually. His only truly noteworthy season was 1964 but what a season it was, becoming FSU’s first consensus All-American after leading the nation in receiving yards & touchdowns.
Jon Marchant:
Peter Warrick, Ron Sellers, Rashad Greene, Fred Biletnikoff
A ton of wide receiver talent has flowed through Tallahassee over the decades, including an incredible amount of pro talent. However, these four made this list easy as they stand out even amongst their talented peers. Anquan Boldin holds a special place for me here, but this list is for their FSU careers only. With that said, the college football receiver of the year award is named after Biletnikoff so it’s impossible to leave him off this list, though it’s likely named after him due to him being a six-time professional All-Pro with the Oakland Raiders.
So, guess who has the most career-receiving yards in school history? The top three go Greene, Sellers, and Warrick. All three are in the top seven in school history in total yards from scrimmage and receiving touchdowns. Warrick and Greene are also in the top 10 in total touchdowns. Sellars owns the top four single-game reception records as well as the single-season receiving yards record and the top two single-game receiving yards records and the single-game receiving touchdown record. Just absurd. Snoop Minnis also gets an honorable mention here from me.
Juan Montalvo:
Peter Warrick, Fred Biletnikoff, Rashad Greene, Kelvin Benjamin
This group is harder than I originally expected. There’s a tough balance to strike between the obvious statistic and legacy guys (Biletnikoff, Sellers) and the guys who performed at key moments (Warrick, Benjamin) in big games.
The biggest receiving moments I can think of in my 30-who knows mind are, of course, from FSU’s three national title runs. I’m a younger guy so my experiences are the big ones. There wasn’t an obvious one for 1993 that wasn’t Warrick Dunn. Peter Warrick obviously has the best national title (and really in general) highlight reel of any FSU receiver, that covers 1999. Being in the stands for 2013, and having watched the wild finish from the stands at the Rose Bowl, it’s hard to pick any moments that stand out above Rashad Greene’s whip route 50-odd yarder and Kelvin Benjamin’s grab nine feet in the air. Biletnikoff and Sellers deserve their accolades among the best of all time, but Benjamin clearly edges out Kenny Shaw for the biggest key moment in a title game or run.
And it’s just hard to me to go against the Glades Central kid. Kelvin may not have the NFL pedigree of some others, but damned if that catch in the Rose Bowl isn’t one of the memories I cherish most. Even if the 4 seconds as the ref ran up did feel like an eternity.
Perry Kos:
Peter Warrick, Ron Sellers, Rashad Greene, Fred Biletnikoff
Even in a group where talent, production and historical relevance can be found up and down the line, one name stands apart — Peter Warrick, who has an argument as the name at the top of FSU’s overall Mount Rushmore and to be labeled as one of the most electric to ever play the game.
Sellers set the tone for future Florida State receivers way back in the 60s to such a degree that he still is either No. 1 or No. 2 in every statistical category in the FSU record books outside of single-season receiving touchdowns (tied for No. 3).
Single-game touchdowns: No. 1 (5)
Single-game receptions: No. 1 (16), No. 2 (14, three times), No. 5 (13, three times)
Single-game yards: No. 1 (260), No. 2 (259), No. 5 (229), No. 6 (218), No. 8 (214)
Single-season touchdowns: No. 5 (12)
Single-season receptions: No. 2 (86, overtaken by Rashad Green’s 99 in 2014)
Single-season yards: No. 1 (1, 496), No. 6 (1,228)
Career receptions: No. 2 (212, overtaken by Rashad Greene’s 270 in 2014)
Career yards: No. 2 (3,598, overtaken by Rashad Green’s 3,830 in 2014)
Consider the talent that came through Tallahassee since Jingle Joints, and his production becomes that much more impressive.
The man who passed him in several of those categories, Rashad Greene, had arguably one of the biggest roles in restoring the Seminoles to national title-winning status. He put the team on his back multiple times, in multiple years, in multiple ways, with his major catch in the BCS National Championship perhaps at the top of that list given the fact it both set up the eventual game-winner and gave FSU fans ammo for complaining about refs for the rest of human existence.
Fred Biletnikoff gets the final spot mostly off the strength of his 1964 season, where he earned consensus All-American status ahead of a Gator Bowl performance that saw him rack up four touchdowns and 192 yards — with the four touchdowns still remaining a bowl record. Sure, his production in the NFL is what sticks out when reviewing his resume, but having an award named after you has to count for something (even if that award, presented by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club, has never gone to an FSU receiver.)
FrankDNole: Why am I always last?
A) Ron Sellers: No-brainer. He is still in the record books for the records he set in the late 60’s. Wrap your head around that.
He was part of the new pass-happy offense that eventually became part of the game of football.
2) Peter Warrick: ‘nuff said. BTW, not necessarily 2nd to Sellers, more like 1A and 1B in any order.
D) The Green(e)’s in any order.
E.G. was someone you could count on to come through for FSU at crunch time.
Rashad was someone you could count on to come through for FSU at crunch time.
I don’t think Freddie B. deserves to be on the FSU Mount Rushmore. You can’t argue with his NFL success or his named award, but his numbers at FSU do not warrant me taking one of the Green(e)’s off for Freddie.
Previous staff picks
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Quarterbacks: Charlie Ward, Chris Weinke, Jameis Winston, Jordan Travis
Running Backs: Warrick Dunn, Dalvin Cook, Greg Allen, Amp Lee
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