FSU Senior Moments: Marquez White

With the exception of the Orange Bowl game still to be played, another season of Florida State football is in the books. While the Seminoles will also lose some juniors who leave early for the NFL Draft and other players who will transfer for other reasons, FSU will say goodbye to a special group of seniors.

After winning a national championship as freshmen, this senior class has FSU in position for a top 10 finish. This was also the first class in FSU history to go a combined 8-0 against Florida and Miami.

As the Orange Bowl nears and their careers wind down, we’ll look back on the most prominent moments in the careers of some notable Florida State seniors. After looking at the leader on the defense on Tuesday, we know transition to the secondary and cornerback Marquez White.

Once a 2-sport athlete that played on Florida State’s basketball team, the Dothan, Alabama prospect turned his focus to football and it paid huge dividends. Coming up with the top moments for White isn’t easy, because over his final two years in Tallahassee, opposing quarterbacks rarely threw his direction. White not only evolved into a lockdown corner, but was a very good tackler on the outside.

A former 3-star prospect, White wasn’t overly vocal on the field, but worked to make a difference outside of it. During the offseason, White returned home to Dothan to host “A Different Way Out” camp. White’s FSU career will conclude with an Orange Bowl appearance against Michigan, but before it does, we look at the top 5 moments from his time with the Seminoles:

5. First Interception
Nov. 9, 2013
As a freshman for FSU against Wake Forest in Winston-Salem in 2013, interceptions weren’t hard to come by. For the day, Wake Forest threw six. One of them however, was the first to land in the arms of Marquez White. With the Seminoles already leading 49-0 early in the third quarter, White stepped in front of a pass from quarterback Tyler Cameron at the Wake Forest 40-yard-line. The first career interception for White would set up an FSU field goal in a 59-3 rout.

4. White Picks Off Wake
Oct. 15, 2016
Marquez White’s first of two interceptions as a senior came against Wake Forest. In a scoreless game late in the first quarter, White stepped in front of a slant thrown by Wake quarterback John Wolford for the game’s first turnover. The interception set FSU up in Wake Forest territory and would lead to a field goal as the Seminoles went on to beat the Demon Deacons, 17-6.

3. White Thwarts South Florida Scoring Opportunity
Sept. 12, 2015
In just his second career start, it became apparent that Florida State had a very good cornerback on the outside in Marquez White. With FSU clinging to a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter against South Florida at Doak Campbell Stadium, the Bulls were threatening with a 3rd-and-3 from the Seminoles’ 4-yard-line. USF quarterback Quinton Flowers attempted a fade route to the back corner of the end zone, but it was played beautifully by White, who intercepted the ball to thwart a potential scoring opportunity for the Bulls in a 34-14 FSU victory.

2. White Intercepts Watson
Oct. 29, 2016
In a prime time match-up against No. 3 Clemson, the Tigers raced to a 14-0 and were threatening to make it worse late in the first quarter. On 3rd-and-short however, White stepped in front of a pass from Clemson All-American quarterback Deshaun Watson to kill the Clemson threat and change momentum of the game. The Seminoles would score 28 of the game’s next 34 points, but came up on the short end of a 37-34 score.

1. Grand Finale at Doak
Nov. 26, 2016
Entering his final game at Doak Campbell Stadium against rival Florida, Marquez White had never lost to the rival Gators. Thanks largely to his efforts to conclude 2016, things would remain that way. White didn’t come away with an interception, but was all over the field that night, recording three tackles, including one for loss and two pass break-ups. White helped the FSU defense hold Florida to just 207 yards and without an offensive touchdown.

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