TALLAHASSEE, Fl. – I’ll admit, I did not watch one second of Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher’s weekly Call-In Show on Tuesday night.
In fact, it’s actually quite impossible for me to do so, seeing as I live in Athens, Georgia – the heart of SEC Country and a good distance away from Tallahassee. But something about this week’s show really hit a nerve with me, and it came from the most unlikely of sources.
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That source happened to be well-known Seminole fan and World War II veteran Bob Schmidt, now in his 90s. Aside from being one of the biggest FSU fans around, Schmidt was honored with the “Legion of Honour” by the French Government for his actions prior to D-Day, when he snuck explosives onto the beaches of Normandy prior to the Allied invasion.
Let me pause here so I don’t understate that. Schmidt snuck behind enemy lines to plant explosives in the days leading up to the most pivotal battle in modern history. That alone deserves more recognition, and respect, than I could ever give him.
And he had one heck of a message for Fisher on Monday night.
Schmidt, normally confined to his wheelchair, stood up from his seat on the front row to roaring applause from the relatively small crowd on hand. He then offered his support for the under-fire head coach.
You can view the full exchange below.
“Jimbo, I stand up for you,†Schmidt said. “You’re my football coach, and I love you.
“Remember one thing, out of every adversity, there’s an equal or greater benefit if you look for it. So, you just keep looking — never give up.”
Look, I’m normally a pretty emotionless guy. I’ll own up to that. It really takes a lot for something to impact me emotionally – especially something that comes from a routine call-in show I rarely have access to.
But that’s freakin’ awesome. Fisher thought so, too.
“That guy right there — it don’t get no better than that right there, now,†Fisher said, grinning from ear to ear. “I’ll promise that buddy, we’re always gonna look. Gonna look for you too, Bob.â€
Even in the midst of a season full of negatives, it’s nice to see the head coach have something to smile about.
It was enjoyable to watch Fisher, just days after his ugly spat with a fan, realize that he does, in fact, still have supporters. That fans aren’t jumping ship just quite yet.
And maybe, just maybe, Schmidt’s encouragement is just what the embattled coach needs at arguably his darkest time at FSU.
Game Info
Florida State vs. Boston College
Time: Friday, Oct. 27, 8 p.m. EST
Location: BC Alumni Stadium, Boston, MassachusettsÂ
Josh Mixon covers Florida State athletics for The Daily Nole. You can find him on Twitter @JoshDMixon.
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