“Speed, competition, applying fundamentals:” News, notes from an intense practice No. 16 for the Florida State Seminoles

Two days felt like two months.

After being off for 48 hours, the Florida State Seminoles football team returned refreshed and rejuvenated. It was evident in their play. Back in full pads, the Seminoles practiced outside for almost two and a half hours. The intensity and competition level were scorching, like the August sun. The practice pinned position groups against each other with countless one-on-one battles on the field.

It was not for the faint of heart.

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell went out of his way to praise his team after practice, saying that he “really liked what I saw today on both sides of the ball.”

It would be hard to disagree with that sentiment. With such an action-packed practice, a few players stood out.

Defensive back Shyheim Brown

The Seminoles return nine starters on the defensive side of the ball but arguably the heart and soul of it, Jammie Robinson, did not come back. Robinson did it all for FSU — cover, tackle, and blitz, he excelled at all phases of the game.

Now, the man responsible for filling the jack-of-all-trades role is Shyeim Brown. He has been up to the challenge. The coaching staff has given him the keys to the car, having him play both safety positions and go down inside the box. He rewarded their trust in him as he made the play of the day today during 7 on 7, intercepting a deflected pass from Jordan Travis. Not only has his play been top-notch, but his communication and understanding of the defense deserve more attention.

Norvell took note of Brown's strides, stating that “he’s put himself in a position to make plays and definitely has gotten better.”

Brown has the size, experience, and smarts to be the defensive leader, and after playing over 300 snaps last year, he is ready to take the next step.

Defensive Line

One of the best parts of watching practice was seeing the inter-squad competition, and the battle inside the trenches was on full display. The defensive line brought their lunch pail and hard hat to work. Whether run or pass, a red defensive jersey was in the backfield on most plays during practice. The main attribute that makes the group so difficult to block is the athleticism that all the linemen bring.

All the starting linemen stand 6’4 and above, but their ability to get off the ball and turn speed to power stuns offensive linemen. They can all run and tackle in space and have the mobility as if they were playing in the secondary. Defensive line coach Odell Haggins always brings energy during practice and should feel confident about the havoc this group can cause during the year.

Quarterback Tate Rodemaker

In one of the more underrated parts of the day, the backup quarterback had one of his best practices. Tate dazzled during his reps of 11 on 11, throwing a beautiful 10-yard out followed by a 15-yard corner route toward the sideline. The fourth-year signal caller looks completely comfortable in the offense, and he shared that attitude during his media availability, saying “the in-game experience really helped me out last year, so I’ve just been getting better every day.”

Every player matters on a championship team, and Rodemaker is pulling his weight to ensure that’s the case.

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August 23 Interviews

Head coach Mike Norvell

“I really liked the mentality which the guys came out [with], we had kind of a modified day a little bit. We spent the last 15 minutes getting an introduction into LSU, some of the structures, formations, different things that we wanted to give a glimpse into. Tomorrow, we’ll get more into that but today was still just about the speed, competition, applying the fundamentals. Trying to put guys in situations, got a two-minute drill, red zone work, third downs, a good mix of it all and I really like the way our guys competed.”

Running backs coach David Johnson

“I think it was big for us to get back out here today, think the guys did a really good job and they were eager to get back out to get this work in.”

Quarterback Tate Rodemaker

Video courtesy Noles247

Quarterback Brock Glenn

Video courtesy Warchant

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