The mantra for FSU football in the Mike Norvell era has been. How do you respond to adversity? FSU has a handful of players in the Mike Norvell era who could post their picture beside that mantra, and it would fit to a tee.
One of them would be former FSU quarterback great Jordan Travis. The other would be former All-American kicker Ryan Fitzgerald.
Related Story: Multiple Players Vouch For Mike Norvell After Massive Win Over Wake Forest
Fitzgerald was a player the fans wanted off the team in 2022 because of his poor performances. He probably cost FSU at least 1-2 wins that season, missing eight field goals in 20 attempts. Fitzgerald bounced back in a big way in 2023, only missing two field goals in 21 attempts. He was even better in 2024, making all 13 field goals, including several from 50+ yards.
Fitzgerald went undrafted but signed with the Carolina Panthers and won the starting job before the season. He has had 14 of 16 field goal attempts as a rookie in 2025, and one of the misses was from 50+ yards. Fitzgerald had a game-winning field goal against the Dallas Cowboys a few weeks ago. That attempt was a chip shot from 33 yards.
However, Fitzgerald had another opportunity for a game-winner on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Fitzgerald made the 49-yard attempt with plenty of room to spare as time expired to push the Carolina Panthers over the .500 mark (5-4) for the second time this season.
RYAN FITZGERALD KICKS TO WIN IT pic.twitter.com/kPIeXJGZeR
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 2, 2025
If you had polled FSU fans in 2022 on what chances Fitzgerald would have to be in his position in 2025, it would have been at zero. That’s kinda what it felt like with Mike Norvell and FSU after the Stanford loss. Can Mike Norvell and the FSU players channel their inner Ryan Fitzgerald over the next few games?
It’s doubtful, but that’s how it looked for Ryan Fitzgerald, and he kept putting in the work. Congrats to the kid!