Jalen Ramsey talks flipping to FSU and 2013 mentality

FSU standout cornerback and national champion Jalen Ramsey has never been one to hold his tongue.

Recently, the NFL All-Pro gave some insight into why he flipped from USC to FSU late in the process and the overall mentality of the 2013 FSU national title team.

The audio appears courtesy of the Catchin’ Fades Podcast with former NFL All-Pro and former Ramsey teammate Aqib Talib.

This eight-minute clip details the process of de-committing from USC and what his other options were at the time.

Folks want to give most of the recruiting credit to former FSU defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. However, Ramsey doesn’t make it seem as though that’s the case in the audio.

Interestingly, Florida was his first choice after USC, but their pitch of Ramsey likely not having the opportunity of playing early regardless of how good he played took them out of the equation.

It wasn’t until he met with FSU football that he’d have the opportunity to play early that he agreed to attend FSU.

The other part of the audio was Ramsey detailing a practice during the 2013 season. Former standout linebacker Telvin Smith holding him accountable set the tone for his mindset at FSU.

The description Ramsey provides gives great insight into what’s been missing at FSU since Jalen Ramsey left the program for the NFL after the 2015 season.

Player accountability is a must, but it begins with the best players on the team. The best players on the team must hold the others accountable, or the accountability will never happen. The coaches can only do so much, but they can’t make this happen unless the players want it:

It’s part of the culture change happening at FSU football under Mike Norvell. Will it make a difference in 2021? It’ll be up to the players from the transfer portal and younger players on the team to make it happen.

FSU football may not have been Ramsey’s first choice out of high school, but it’s good to know he knows what’s up after shining in Tallahassee for three years.

The standard is the standard.