FSU Football alum Telvin Smith sitting out 2019 season is mind boggling

Former FSU football star Telvin Smith told social media that he would not be suiting up for Jacksonville this NFL season – and the timing couldn’t be worse.

As most FSU football fans were finishing up their Thursday afternoons at work or whatever was going on in their day, many were given the shocking news about a former star for the Seminoles now in the NFL who announced to the world that he was going to be sitting out the entire 2019 season to deal with personal issues.

Telvin Smith, who helped lead a dominating defense for the Seminoles during his senior season to the 2013 national title before being drafted in the fifth round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014, took to Instagram on Thursday afternoon to announce that he wasn’t going to be taking the summer off – but the entire 2019 season.

In the post, the former FSU football champ alluded to the usual comments from someone who is taking time away from making millions in the sports world – the need to take care of his own personal health and family, writing the following in part.

Florida State Seminoles Football

"“I must give this time back to myself, my family, & my health. I appreciate all the support I will & will not get. I just ask y’all respect my decision to not play football this season. I know the rumors of trade talk came about, but I started my career in Jacksonville & the day I do decided [sic] to call it quits it will be right here in Duval.”"

Alright, now if there truly are some issues in Smith’s personal life that need to be worked on – and in no way, shape or form am I doubting that on the surface – I think I speak for most people in the FSU football fan base who will support him and hope that the time will allow him to have the comfort he needs to get things worked out.

At the same time, Smith and the rest of the people in Florida’s first coast need to understand how the timing of everything with this comes across as very odd.

It goes back a little bit ago to Smith being one of the people that team executive Tom Coughlin made comments about when the five year veteran decided to skip voluntary workouts days with teammates (a move where he was joined by his FSU football teammate Jalen Ramsey) in spite of the fact that Smith was not hurt at the time.

We all know Coughlin was in the wrong for those comments about voluntary practice, but when you have someone coming off the most tackles in his pro history – one season after making it to the Pro Bowl during an impressive first five pro seasons – this decision is going to make people take a moment to think.

For the moment, we’re going to take it on the surface and wish Smith and his family the best and hope to see him back on the field – in Jacksonville or wherever else – come the 2020 season.