Never Underestimate the Toughness of a Jimbo Fisher QB

By now, it is well known that Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is regarded as a quarterback guru. From Jamarcus Russell at LSU to three first round picks and a Heisman Trophy winner at FSU, Fisher’s signal-callers have been able to get the job done.

Often, Fisher’s quarterbacks have great physical and mental ability. Russell could reportedly take a knee at midfield and throw the ball through the goal posts while Christian Ponder graduated with a bachelors’ degree in less than three years.

Despite his off-the-field transgressions, Jameis Winston had a very high football IQ, which was a requirement to run a Fisher offense. After being drafted in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, E.J. Manuel pointed out that his offense at FSU was more complex than in Buffalo.

For all the traits that Fisher’s signal-callers have possessed over the years, there’s one that pundits and talking heads seem to not to talk about enough and it’s a big one. That trait is toughness.

Deondre Francois certainly showed plenty of that last season as the redshirt freshman took one big shot after another. Listed at 6-2 and 205 pounds, Francois continued to get up no matter how many shots he took. Despite getting sacked 36 times, Francois missed a grand total of seven plays to injury last season.

“I tell you what, when your quarterback’s tough, your team’s tough,” Fisher said last year after a 20-19 win over Miami. “He’s shown a lot of resiliency. He’s battled through a lot of things and played well. The guys respect him.”

Though he didn’t have the pedigree of some of Fisher’s other quarterbacks and started just six games during his FSU career, Sean Maguire personified that toughness in the 2015 Peach Bowl against Houston. While the contest resulted in a 38-24 loss and Maguire threw four interceptions, he played the final three-plus quarters on a broken ankle.

In 2014, resigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston played the second half of the season nursing an ankle injury, but in no game was his pain more evident than on Oct. 30 — a Thursday night — against Louisville. Despite being in obvious pain, Winston overcame three early interceptions and a 21-point deficit to pass for 401 yards in a thrilling 42-31 FSU win.

In 2011, Manuel entered a contest against Wake Forest to replace an ineffective Clint Trickett, despite nursing an injured shoulder. He would pass for 286 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 35-30 loss. The year prior, Ponder fought through a ruptured bursa sack in his elbow for much of the year and tried to play through a concussion in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

These are just several examples and there are probably a lot of schools and quarterbacks throughout the country who have fought through similar pain. When it comes to Fisher however, it is well known that he demands a lot out of his quarterbacks and all the examples listed above are probably more than just a coincidence.

“His practices are very tough, especially on us,” Winston told the Florida Times Union in 2014. “He’s constantly on us the hardest. We’re held accountable for every mistake, even by the linemen and the receivers. If they drop a ball, we’re the ones accountable.”

When it comes to Fisher-coached quarterbacks, mental toughness, a high football IQ and leadership are all prerequisites. The physical toughness however, is a key trait that cannot be ignored. Fortunately for the rest of us, only those quarterbacks have to learn that the hard way.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson