Sue Semrau treats her players like they are her daughters. After 24 years of putting her Florida State family first, sacrificing time with her mom and dad, it was time for Semrau to return home to help care for her mom, who is battling cancer. Semrau announced in September that she would take a one-year leave of absence from coaching the women’s…
Kenneth Crawford recalls watching Lawrance Toafili play his first snaps of JV football at Pinellas Park High. It was clear the freshman would soon be on varsity. “First game he touched the ball six times — he scored six times,” said Crawford, Pinellas Park’s varsity head coach. “He’s faster than people think. You double that with his vision. But probably…
Growing up in a small suburb east of Evansville, Ind., Jessica Nunge had a very competitive upbringing. Not only were her parents former collegiate athletes, but her older brother and sister are also collegiate athletes. So, when the entire family is home, one could imagine the level of petty remarks that get flung around the dinner table. The ones that…
Keyshawn Helton is a ‘Yes, sir. No, sir’ kind of kid. A diminutive 5-foot-9 and 171 pounds, the lightly recruited Pensacola native is a fierce competitor who draws upon an inspiring work ethic and burning passion to have become a collegiate playmaker. What’s more, Helton is the kind of kid who leaves you feeling a little bit more hopeful about…
Some of Jaelin Howell’s earliest memories are of playing soccer. And, looking back, Howell can laugh about how she didn’t love the sport. “I played a lot of sports,” Howell said. “First couple of years I didn’t love it. I wasn’t that good at it and I continued to pursue it just because of the teams I was on. By…
Amari Gainer grew up in Tallahassee, in a football family, the son of a Florida State player. Many of his fall Saturdays included trips to Doak Campbell Stadium, and one of his good friends was Trey Fisher, Jimbo’s son. When the time came to make a decision on where the Chiles High star would attend college, Gainer was torn. He…
“The higher they climb, the harder they fall” is a proverb used to describe the challenges celebrities face when life breaks bad. But former Florida State running back Sammie Smith is living a life that proves “The harder they fall, the higher they can bounce, too.” Blessed from birth with an abundance of physical and intellectual gifts, as well as a…
Derrick Gibson knew even during his five-year NFL career with the Oakland Raiders that his future would be in coaching. In the offseason, Gibson began working out with high school players in his hometown, Miami, and he eventually was helping out as the defensive backs coach at Miami Central under head coach Telly Lockette. Gibson gained experience as a defensive backs…
Florida State fans knew white numerals would return on garnet jerseys for the 2020 football season, an announcement that was made last August. But that didn’t mean it was an easy process. Or one that was complete last summer. The conversation kicked into gear in May 2019 with a collaborative effort between FSU athletics and boosters administrators, Nike representatives, licensing…
Florida State has announced a number of returning 2020 seniors for the 2021 athletics season. On Tuesday, men’s golfers Jamie Li and Greyson Porter officially announced their return. Last year, Li shot a career-low -0.78 vs. par and totaled three Top-10 finishes. In every year, the Bath, England, native has improved his scoring average, setting up what could be a…
