FSU football: Takeaways from Jermaine Johnson press conference

Insight on Mike Norvell’s Recruiting Pitch

"“Of course. He let me know right off the bat, that obviously I was talented, I can do some things, but that he did make some calls. He called around, just a character check. Make sure everything on that end was straight. And then once he heard all he needed to hear that was the first thing that he said. ‘Right off the bat, I’ve heard great things about you. Great character things.’ That was his main point going through the whole thing, bringing the right guys in to get this thing moving in the right direction. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, we were lacking here, we need you here.’ It was, ‘This is the kind of person that you are, this is the kind of character that I hear that you have. And that fits well with the program. And I think we can do special things together.’ And I agree.”"

I mentioned many fans didn’t think FSU could pull a player like Jermaine Johnson from the transfer portal. Some fans are still not sure how to judge Mike Norvell as a recruiter. However, I can tell you the guy can and will recruit at a high level at FSU.

The ability to evaluate is there, the organization is there, and the ability to communicate. Just think of how you felt after the introductory press conference. Of course, every conversation isn’t going to be so energetic and enthusiastic. However, this is a small sample size that Norvell looks at more than physical ability, and that character is important.

That last few years under Jimbo Fisher is a prime example of physical talent alone not being enough to compete at an elite level.