FSU football: Explaining player departures and team leadership

Player Development/Leadership

What does Mike Norvell mean when he says he’s waiting for emerging leaders to meet the standard consistently?

Mike Norvell wants the same thing Jimbo Fisher helped create in his early years in Tallahassee. A team that’s led by the players, players that police themselves and hold one another accountable.

Here’s a prime example:

Why are we not seeing that yet?

It goes back to not being held accountable or disciplined for the last 4-5 years. Are there players on the team that are leaders? Sure, Asante Samuel Jr. and Amari Gainer come to mind. Those are the type of players that have the work ethic and talent to be successful. The question is, are THEY willing to hold their teammates accountable when they are not meeting the standard?

Maybe, but you need more than two players to be effective.

If player A does something dumb at practice or misses practice altogether, would either or both of them check that player and hold them to the standard?

The other issue is youth and inexperience on the team. There could be some players that want to be leaders but don’t necessarily have the clout/production to be taken seriously. A guy that never gets to play, or someone that is always screwing up during the game can’t be looked upon as someone with authority to hold others accountable. Players are not going to listen to them.