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Clint Trickett’s decision to leave Florida State was solely about playing time, as the rising junior realized he wasn’t going to be the Seminoles quarterback for their season opener Sept. 2 at Pittsburgh.
Trickett entered spring camp with a leg up on anyone else interested in the job because he had a decent amount of experience, completing 66 of 106 pass attempts for 947 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions over two seasons.
As a freshman, he started and played the entire game in a 35-30 loss at Clemson in 2011, a week after EJ Manuel went down in a home loss to Oklahoma.
But he struggled in some other performances, and with the arrival and long-term potential of redshirt freshman Jameis Winston, Trickett was running the risk of serving as a career backup if he stayed at FSU.
Many associated with the program believed that Winston would eventually win the job whether he had it by the opener or not.
“After a long meeting with Clint, he expressed he’d like to explore another playing opportunity, and I’ve signed off on his wish,” coach Jimbo Fisher said in a release by the school. “Clint has not only been a great player for our program, but a great young man and ambassador for Florida State who will graduate in a few weeks. He’s been part of this program for a long time and we wish nothing but the best for him and his future endeavors.”
Winston was a 5-star prospect and rated the No. 2 quarterback in the nation in the class of 2012 by Scout.com. A native of Hueytown, Ala., the 6-foot-4, 218 pounder turned down in-state schools Alabama and Auburn to attend FSU.
“He puts his time in, puts the work in,” Fisher told a collection of media before a function with FSU boosters. “You say the guy’s so natural – those guys are good. You go back and hear stories on Deion Sanders, they say he’s the hardest practicing player ever at Florida State. It may look easy, but there’s a lot of work behind the scenes and he’s doing a lot of it.”
Grobe A Game Changer
Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe is appropriately being recognized for the remarkable job he’s done in Winston-Salem for the last decade by being selected to speak at the Leadership Game Changer: Developing Business Champions in Atlanta on May 9.
Grobe, the 2006 ACC and national Coach of the Year, has turned in a 73-74 mark at a school that was 353-541-33 before he arrived.
But under Grobe, the Demon Deacons have played in five of the school’s eight bowl games, won right or more games three times, and captured the 2006 ACC championship, played in the Orange Bowl and finished the season nationally ranked for just the fourth time in program history and the second time since 1948.
According to its Web site, Leadership Game Changer is a one-day business camp that brings nationally recognized college coaches and former athletes together to share their training and motivational secrets with individuals, corporate teams, and leaders seeking to compete at the highest level.
Virginia Tech Increasing Security
In the wake of the recent events in Boston, and with a tragic memory of its own, Virginia Tech officials have chosen to increase security around campus this weekend, as the annual spring football game is expected to draw about 40,000 spectators.
In addition to the football game, Virginia Tech teams are hosting events in softball, tennis, lacrosse and even an alumni soccer game. Booster club meetings and an all-day football celebration surrounding the game are also scheduled.
The football game will be treated almost exactly as if it’s a regular season game with police lining entry ways into the stadium beginning on major roads and all bags will be checked.
“It’s a full day for us with just a ton of activities going on, so we’ve enhanced all of our security for the day,” associated athletic director for internal affairs Tom Gabbard told the media Wednesday. “Everybody’s geared up for it and I think we’re in good shape. You never know, but you like to think you are.”
