Jordan Travis passionately defends Mike Norvell and sends message to FSU players

Jordan Travis has a message for FSU players, but I'm not sure exactly how well it will be received.

The former FSU quarterback, who saw some incredible highs and lows during his four years starting for the Seminoles, suggested that the current players should do whatever it takes to get wins for the program. Travis said this on the "Travis Takes Two" podcast that he hosts with his brother, former MLB player Devon Travis. 

Travis puts losing on the players

​Travis says that Mike Norvell isn't responsible for his losing seasons, the players are the ones that lost. He talks about the struggles his teams had in 2020 and 2021 before turning things around with a 10-3 season in 2022 and a 13-1 season in 2023. 

"Norvell did not do that [expletive]. We did that [expletive] and that's what the players need to do this year. Take initiative and take it upon themselves to put their bodies on the line."

Jordan Travis

Travis did not finish the 2023 season and his gruesome injury against North Alabama is commonly referenced as the main reason why FSU was snubbed out of the 2023 College Football Playoff. The injury basically ended Travis' playing career.

Will FSU players sacrifice for Norvell?

​As Travis continued his ranted he suggested that the current roster do everything possible to make Norvell a winner. He referenced Tommy Castellanos' touchdown against Stanford as an example of a player sacrificing their body to make a play. 

"When you're out on that field, screw what happens to your body," Travis continued. "When we had Jared Verse on that team, when we had Trey Benson...we loved that damn program so much we would do whatever it took to get a win for Mike Norvell. These guys don't have that same drive, the same passion, the same love for that man that I had."

This is where Travis misses the mark

One of the issues with Norvell has been his recruiting and his failure to build a roster through recruiting high school prospects. The reliance on the transfer portal comes at the sacrifice of building relationships. 

When around 90 percent of the starting offense and nearly 70 percent of the starting 22 are transfers, the relationships are more transactional and less personal. FSU's rosters under Norvell have been heavily based on rentals and transfers. 

The players that have grown through the program, like defensive back Ja'Bril Rawls and wide receiver Micahi Danzy are examples of players that have performed and have a deeper appreciation for being at FSU. 

Norvell hasn't focused enough on getting home-grown talent like Rawls and Danzy, instead he's putting his career in the hands of players that look at FSU football as means to an end.