Mike Norvell announces players missing rest of season, opting out

Florida State Seminoles football head coach Mike Norvell has announced several players will be unavailable for the rest of the 2020 college football season.

Quaterback James Blackman will be seeking a graduate transfer, wide receiver Tamorrion Terry has left the program while defensive tackle Marvin Wilson and offensive lineman Devontay Love-Taylor will miss the rest of the season with injuries.

“On Sunday, I had a conversation with James Blackman. Came in. Had a really good talk. James discussed the interest in being able to explore other opportunities after he graduates here from Florida State. And it’s something that I support, James and I have really developed a good relationship over the last nine months. I appreciate all the work that he’s poured into this program. He’s an incredible young man.”

“It bothered me that some fans booed [James] last week” after everything that he’s given to the program.

“He could’ve left plenty of times...I’m grateful to know James Blackman.”

“I appreciate Marvin and the leader that he’s worked to be to a lot of these young guys and all aspects of what he does.

I thought his energy on the sideline on Saturday was very impressive. I hate for him that he’s not going to be able to finish up this season with us, but it’s something he had to get done and we definitely support him in his rehabilitation and obviously what his future is going to be.”

He spoke yesterday on the challenges of building and establishing trust with players.

“There’s never a point where I’m going to sit there and say, ‘this just isn’t going to work,’” Norvell said Tuesday. “There are players that I’ve been around that have made that choice for themselves. But if I get a chance to go out there and be a part of what we are doing, I’m going to give everything I have to the coaches, the players that we work with.

“Sometimes there are decisions made that force my hand in where we’re going with an individual or what the opportunity is. If these guys will come out and give me everything they have, they’re going to get the exact something back from me.”

“The on-the-field result and our record right now, it’s not what anybody was hoping for, it’s not what anybody wanted. But the real guys they understand what’s in front of us and I say that in a way [of] guys that are willing to make that commitment, that are embracing the challenge, that see the structure in the plan that’s in front of us and want to be a part of that.

“And some guys they’re all in different places and at the end of the day, I am and I’ve always been for our players — ‘What can we do for their future? How can we prepare them for their future?’”