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CFB AM: FSU players make sure fan in hospital doesn't feel alone
Florida State fan Jayse Simpson, a 17-year-old who has battled through three open-heart surgeries and other operations, was in a Jacksonville hospital on Monday awaiting word on what’s next.
Simpson would either go home that day or he’d need to go into surgery yet again. Whatever the outcome, it wouldn’t be the easiest of days as he and his mother waited on the doctors.
Then something amazing happened to Jayse that floored him. A FaceTime call came in and on the other end was FSU quarterback Jameis Winston.
A little later, his phone buzzed again, and it was kicker Robert Aguayo.
Then it was offensive linemen Cameron Erving and Jose Matias.
Then it was Jayse’s favorite player, receiver Bobo Wilson.
One by one throughout the day, Seminoles players called Jayse to offer him words of encouragement and help guide him through the long day at the hospital, letting him know they were thinking of him and he wasn’t going through this alone. "They took time out of their day, out of their week – this week that means the most to Florida State football," Deidra Newman, Jayse’s moth, told the Tallahassee Democrat. "They told him to be strong. And that he was going to get through it no matter what. Just the fact that they took time out of their day to call a kid they didn't know, it was just really cool. And it was another and another and another. They made sure they stayed with him that day."
The Noles found out about Jayse through one of the coaches on staff and responded accordingly. On this Thanksgiving, it’s a great example of selflessly serving others. Kudos to Florida State.
Read the Democrat’s full story for more on Jayse.
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
1. The best part about rivalries can be the healthy hostility between teams and fan bases, but sometimes that passion ventures into a darker place. With the Egg Bowl this weekend in Oxford, Ole Miss received a handwritten note threatening damage to trees in The Grove, and now the FBI is investigating the threat. Hopefully this is just some idiot taking a prank too far and nothing actually happens to The Grove.
2. Bruce Feldman reports that Michigan is leaning towards keeping Jim Hackett as the full-time athletic director rather than bringing in someone entirely new. Hackett is a Michigan grad and former Wolverine football player who can help guide the university forward as it works in a new president who “knows virtually nothing about sports,” Feldman writes. Hackett will be the one evaluating Brady Hoke at the end of the season and leading the search for Michigan’s next football coach if he indeed decides to remove Hoke.
3. This is a great Thanksgiving for football. While the day is usually dominated by the NFL – and there are three quality pro games today – we have No. 5 TCU at Texas on FOX Sports 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET in what should be a fantastic game with upset potential. Also at 7:30 p.m. ET is LSU at Texas A&M. When that game is pretty much an afterthought, you know we have a great slate. SB Nation blends the pro and college games together in one place for you here. Get ready for about 11 straight hours of food and football (and maybe a little family – we’ll see if there’s time).
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
1. Some coaching carousel stuff: Virginia announced that Mike London will be back in 2015, which is a little bit of a surprise considering that job has been on most people’s lists as one coming open this offseason. Also, there was a lot of talk flying around social media on Wednesday about Florida offering its job to Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze. That may or may not be true, but I’d be surprised if Freeze left Ole Miss. Both he and the university have expressed interest in working out a contract extension, which they’re presently working on and should have finalized by the end of the season. So this would be a great time to have a rumor like that out there if you’re Freeze’s representation and you’re trying to gain as much leverage as possible in this round of negotiations.
2. Coy Wire analyzes three battles that could decide who wins the Iron Bowl. As usual with Coy’s work, there’s great detail here and it’s an easy X’s and O’s read that will make you smarter.
3. Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is a nominee for the Broyles Award, which honors the top assistant coach in college football. Kiffin was a polarizing hire because of his past struggles as a head coach, but there was never much doubt that he knew his offense and could thrive in a role where coaching that side of the ball is the only thing he has to worry about during his day. No speaking to the media, no speaking at functions, just coach football. I think he will at some point get another shot to be a head coach somewhere, and I’m curious to see how it works out. For all his failings, he’s a young guy with a lot of experience to draw from and improve upon the next time around.
THREE THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW
1. Apparently there’s a hashtag for “woman crush Wednesday” on social media? I had no idea, but this is funny: An Ohio State player posted a picture of his woman crush yesterday – and it is the girlfriend of a Michigan defensive back.
2. Virginia Tech wants to save Thanksgiving one turkey at a time. Pretty funny.
3. Two freshmen, one who goes to Alabama and the other Auburn, have bonded through their battles with cancer and will be side by side at the Iron Bowl.
LASTLY
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody. I hope you enjoy today and the long weekend with family and friends. Thanks for reading CFB AM and spending a few minutes with us each morning. As a show of gratitude, here’s a short video on how to properly and safely carve a turkey – don’t hurt yourselves.
Teddy Mitrosilis is an editor and writer for FOXSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TMitrosilis and email him at tmitrosilis@gmail.com.
