Best Florida State football players: Modern-era Mount Rushmore – From Primetime to Famous Jameis
By Kelvin Hunt
Who are the best Florida State football players of all time? From Deion Sanders to Jameis Winston, here is the FSU football modern-era Mount Rushmore.
This past year, Florida State football fired its head coach Willie Taggart and suffered its second consecutive losing season. The past three seasons where the Noles have had a record of 18-20 is a stark departure from the norm of such a storied program. However, that wasn’t the case less than a decade ago when FSU football hoisted their third national title after the 2013 season.
Florida State football has always featured some of the most talented players in college football. They have multiple Heisman Trophy winners, Jim Thorpe Awards, Davey O’Brien Awards, Walter Camp Awards, and the list goes on. That’s what makes it complicated in naming this team’s Mount Rushmore. We’re talking about the modern-era greats for Florida State football, whose rise to prominence began in the early ’80s.
Picking a modern era Mount Rushmore is never easy when looking at the players Florida State football has produced since 1980. Undoubtedly, some great players are going to be left off the list since there are only four spots. The two greatest running backs in FSU history, Dalvin Cook and Warrick Dunn are not on the list. Also not making the list, Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke. The Noles quarterback is the all-time leader in career passing yards, passing yards for a single season and career passing touchdowns.
College Football Hall of Famers Derrick Brooks and Terrell Buckley are not on the list. Defensive great and two-time consensus All-American linebacker Marvin “Shade Tree” Jones isn’t on the list. Fred Biletnikoff has a national award named after him, and he’s not on the list. There are too many great FSU football players to mention. However, when looking at the modern-era Mount Rushmore (since 1980), these four stand above the rest.