College Football: The Mount Rushmore for the 30 best programs of all time
By Brad Weiss
Florida State Seminoles: Bobby Bowden, Charlie Ward, Jameis Winston, Deion Sanders
The Florida State Seminoles football program is one of the more decorated in the history of college football, with big-name coaches, as well as legendary players. The Seminoles have an all-time winning percentage of over 67 percent while producing three national titles, as well as three Heisman Trophy winners.
Bobby Bowden
You cannot begin a Mount Rushmore for Florida State without starting with Bobby Bowden, who led the Seminoles to over 300 wins during his time at the school. The school’s head coach from 1976 to 2009, Bowden won two national championships, 12 ACC titles. Within the conference, Bowden posted a 105-27 record. In his career at Florida State, he lost only 97 times in over 30 years at the helm.
Deion Sanders
One of the greatest pure athletes the world has ever seen, Deion Sanders was a three-sport star at Florida State, playing baseball, football, and running track. A product of the State of Florida, Sanders was a two-time All-American for the football program, winning the Jim Thorpe Award as well. When all was said and done, the Seminoles retired his No. 2.
Charlie Ward
Another incredible multi-sport athlete for Florida State, Charlie Ward excelled in both basketball and football. He would go on to enjoy a nice career in the NBA. During his football days, Ward was the best quarterback in the country, leading the Seminoles to their first-ever national title, winning the Heisman Trophy, and twice being named the ACC Player of the Year. His margin of victory in the Heisman voting is the third-highest in the history of the award.
Jameis Winston
The third multi-sport athlete on this list, Jameis Winston was not only a standout pitcher for the Florida State baseball team, but he also led the Seminoles on the best two-year run in school history on the football field. Winston went 26-1 as the starting quarterback for Florida State, leading the school to a national championship while taking home the program’s third Heisman Trophy.