New FSU Football pregame ritual shows Willie Taggart cares about fans

FSU football will allow fans the chance to greet the players before they do work inside Doak Campbell Stadium in yet another welcome change.

From the second he was introduced as just the third FSU football coach since the 1976 season, Willie Taggart has been the refreshing breath of air that the program needed after what seemed to be a stale approach over the past few seasons following the lowering number of wins under his predecessor, who bolted for a big payday at Texas A&M.

It started with the embracement of social media and connecting with both the Seminole fan and alumni base as well as showing recruits that the program is going forward and not back. It continued with a spring football game with over 60,000 people in attendance – destroying the previous record for the FSU football program.

Now, Taggart and the program are attempting to show the fans they are part of everything by introducing a new legacy walk that will take place before every home game starting with the opener against Virginia Tech on Labor Day according to Seminoles.com.

"Each Legacy Team Walk will take place 2 ½ hours before kickoff. The walk starts at the Heritage Tower Fountain (near Dick Howser Stadium) and will proceed into Doak Campbell Stadium through Gate K."

Now, it may seem like something little, but it continues to show that Taggart, athletic director Stan Wilcox and others to begin embracing the fans again after what was an icy situation toward the end of the 2017 season thanks to a former coach who used to have the buses pull as close to the stadium as possible.

FSU football also announced several new tailgating options, including both regular and VIP areas to enhance the experience for fans before watching the Seminoles dominate on the field inside Doak Campbell Stadium.

All of this will start in the opening game, which will include the jersey of former star wide receiver Peter Warrick being retired – almost 19 years since his last game, in which Warrick went off for three touchdowns in the Sugar Bowl win over the Hokies to clinch a second national title for the Noles.

Next: Willie Taggart in better position to be more successful

Now, all the love for Taggart could evaporate if the performance on the field doesn’t live up to expectations – no one is expecting 15-0 and a national title, but FSU football must be better than 7-6 like last season. If he can continue the upward motion, it will be smooth sailing the rest of the way.