9 Best Florida State Seminoles Football Players

If you wagered on college football odds associated with the Florida State Seminoles recently, you did well after they went undefeated during the regular season. Of course, they missed out on the College Football Playoff after quarterback Jordan Travis got hurt.

Before this past season, the Seminoles have three claimed national championships – 1993, 1999, and 2013. Many legendary players have played there over the years. 

To honour them, I’ve made a list of the top nine FSU players below. 

9 Best Florida State Seminoles Football Players

1. Charlie Ward

Ward ended up starting two seasons (1992 and 1993), but he left behind a lasting legacy with the Seminoles. Florida State has three national championships claimed, and Ward was responsible for the first in 1993. 

That year, he passed for 3,032 yards, 27 touchdowns, and four interceptions and ran for an additional 339 yards on 65 attempts/carries and four touchdowns. 

#PlayOfTheDay (1993): Charlie Ward finds Warrick Dunn on 3rd & long to stop Florida's comeback as #1 FSU beats #7 UF pic.twitter.com/CXCB0JyXNa

— Pick Six Previews (@PickSixPreviews) June 14, 2016

In addition to the national championship, Ward won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, and James E. Sullivan Award, among other prestigious accolades. 

He’s a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, and his No. 17 has been retired by Florida State.

Ward went on to play 11 seasons in the NBA.

2. Deion Sanders

Sanders is tied for third in interceptions in Florida State history with 14 and is considered the best defensive player the program has ever seen. 

He played for FSU from 1985 to 1988. During his time there, he won the Jim Thorpe Award, was a two-time unanimous All-American, and had at least four interceptions in each of his last three seasons. 

In 1986 alone, Sanders, recorded 61 total tackles, four interceptions, eight passes defended, and two forced fumbles. 

Following his time with the Seminoles, Sanders went on to have a Pro Football Hall of Fame career, played about ten years in Major League Baseball, and is now the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes. 

3. Derrick Brooks 

Brooks played for the Seminoles from 1991 to 1994, and he was unbelievable during that time, especially in 1993. Over his career, he recorded 274 tackles, five interceptions, 8.5 sacks, 13 passes defended, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. 

He was part of the 1993 national championship team and won the Jack Lambert Trophy. He was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 1993, was a three-time first-team All-ACC honoree, is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, and much more. 

4. Peter Warrick

The first wide receiver on my list is Warrick, and he was part of the national championship team in 1999. That same year, he was a unanimous All-American, and the Sugar Bowl MVP.

Warrick still ranks third in Seminoles history in receptions (207) and receiving yards (3,517), and he’s No. 1 t in receiving touchdowns (31). 

5. Chris Weinke

Weinke had a great year in 1999 when Florida State won the national championship, but his 2000 season was even better. That year, he won the Heisman Trophy after throwing for 4,167 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.  

He stacks up quite well across Seminoles history, ranking first in passing yards (9,839), passing touchdowns (79), second in total offence (9,473), and second in touchdowns responsible for (81). 

6. Ron Simmons

While most millennials may know Simmons for his WWF/WWE persona, Faarooq, he was first a sensational college football player in the late 1970s and early 1980s. 

He ranks second all-time in Seminoles history in tackles (483) and fourth in sacks (25). 

Simmons was a two-time Consensus All-American, and his No. 50 has been retired by Florida State. 

7. Fred Biletnikoff

Biletnikoff isn’t scattered across the Seminoles’ record books, but come on—there’s a major college football award named after him.

Biletnikoff played some defence after he got over some early injuries, but as a senior, he played receiver. He caught 70 balls for 1,179 yards, and 15 touchdowns. That was in 1964 when stat lines like that weren’t common. 

He’s a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, was a consensus All-American, and his No. 25 was retired by Florida State. He’s also the namesake of the Biletnikoff Award, which is presented annually to college football’s most outstanding receiver.

8. Ron Sellers

Another receiver on my list, Sellers’ name is littered across Florida State’s record books. 

He ranks second in receptions (212), receiving yards (3,598), and receiving touchdowns (23), and holds seven single-game records for receptions. 

He was a Consensus All-American in 1967, a first-team All-American in 1968, and his No. 34 was retired by the Seminoles. 

9. Warrick Dunn

A member of the 1993 national championship team and the first running back on my list, Dunn was a first-team All-American, three-time first-team All-ACC honoree, and his No. 28 was retried by the school.

In Seminoles history, he ranks second in rushing yards (2,959) and rushing touchdowns (37).

Dunn added 12 receiving touchdowns throughout his FSU career before being a first-round draft pick and playing 12 years in the NFL.