The weekend is sadly over, but that also means the wait for Florida State football is down to “just” 91 days. As part of the offseason, we’re doing a countdown that highlights players, games, and specific moments from Florida State football history. On Sunday, it was the 92-yard touchdown pass vs. Michigan in the 2016 Orange Bowl.
Today, it’s the 1991 FSU recruiting class that included some of the greatest players in FSU history, including one of its current coaches.
At first glance, the 1991 recruiting class seems like a mixed bag. There’s only a handful of names from the 17 signees that would eventually become well known to Florida State fans. But the more one examines the class, it’s clear how much of an impact it had on the eventual 1993 national championship team and the program in general.
Nolefan.org has the full list and descriptions of each player. To highlight the most notable ones:
Derrick Alexander out of Jacksonville would turn out to be one of the best defensive ends in Florida State history. He accumulated over 200 tackles from 1991 to 1994, including a standout 1993 season where he finished second on the team with 100 total. He came back his senior year as a preseason favorite for the Lombardi and Outland Trophies. While he didn’t capture those awards, he did win ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Not to be outdone, the other Derrick of the class turned out to be Derrick Brooks. He broke out on the national scene as a sophomore in 1992, when he started all 12 games and racked up 98 tackles, in addition to 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble. But it was his 1993 and 1994 seasons which earned him plenty of accolades. He was Unanimous All-American in the former and a Consensus All-American in the latter. Brooks left Florida State as arguably its greatest linebacker of all-time.
Devin Bush was another in-state recruit that chose the Seminoles over their local rivals. The Miami product started at safety on the 1993 and 1994 teams, earning All-ACC honors in both years. He finished his career with 164 tackles and owns one of the greatest plays in FSU history.
Clay Shiver was recruited as a center from nearby Tifton, Georgia. He turned out to be the greatest center in FSU history, earning full-time starting duties by 1993 and helping power the up-tempo offense that won the national title. According to his bio, Shiver was responsible for 0.5 sacks allowed in over 700 snaps. His best season was probably 1994, where he was named a Consensus All-American and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy.
The final name to know is a surprisingly relevant one: Greg Frey. The current offensive line coach was rated as one of the top lineman in the country while coming out of Clearwater. Frey never became a starter during his FSU playing career, but his winding career path has brought him back to his alma mater in an unexpected turn of events. If he hadn’t committed to FSU in the 1991 class, there’s no telling what the butterfly effect may have started.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login