Warchant.com - Making a case for Mickey Andrews

Making a case for Andrews' defense
Over the course of defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews' 26 seasons at Florida State, his unit has produced 46 Associated Press All-Americans (1st, 2nd, 3rd team and honorable mention). Here is a list of first-team All-American defensive players who have starred on his watch from 1984-present, which includes 17 (*) consensus All-Americans.

LB Paul McGowan (1987)
CB Deion Sanders* (1987)
CB Deion Sanders* (1988)
CB LeRoy Butler* (1989)
CB Terrell Buckley* (1991)
LB Marvin Jones* (1991)
LB Marvin Jones* (1992)
LB Derrick Brooks* (1993)
CB Corey Sawyer* (1993)
CB Clifton Abraham* (1994)
LB Derrick Brooks* (1994)
DE Derrick Alexander (1994)
DE Peter Boulware* (1996)
DE Reinard Wilson* (1996)
LB Sam Cowart* (1997)
DE Andre Wadsworth* (1997)
DT Corey Simon (1998)
DT Corey Simon* (1999)
DE Jamal Reynolds* (2000)
CB Tay Cody* (2000)

NFL selects Andrews' best
Beginning with the 1985 NFL Draft, 73 of Andrews' defensive players have been selected, including 18 first-round picks. The plentiful supply of FSU defensive players selected includes seven drafts with at least five Seminoles chosen, including the 2006 draft, which produced six (four in the first round). The first-round list includes ( ) denoting overall selection.
1989 CB Deion Sanders (5)
1992 CB Terrell Buckley (5)
1993 LB Marvin Jones (4)
1995 DE Derrick Alexander (11)
1995 S Devin Bush (26)
1995 LB Derrick Brooks (28)
1997 DE Peter Boulware (4)
1997 DE Reinard Wilson (14)
1998 DE Andre Wadsworth (3)
2000 DT Corey Simon (6)
2001 DE Jamal Reynolds (10)
2001 S Derrick Gibson (28)
2005 DT Travis Johnson (16)
2006 LB Ernie Sims (9)
2006 DE Kamerion Wimbley (13)
2006 DT Brodrick Bunkley (14)
2006 CB Antonio Cromartie (19)
2007 LB Lawrence Timmons (15)

Andrews' achievements
A non-exhaustive list of the Florida State defensive accomplishments under Mickey
Andrews, as well as his personal accomplishments and awards over the course of his coaching career:
• Longest-tenured and most successful assistant coach in the Atlantic Coast
Conference in his 26th season at Florida State;
• Winner of the 1996 inaugural Frank Broyles Award, presented to the nation's top
assistant coach;
• All-American Football Foundation's national assistant coach of the year in 2000;
• National defensive coordinator of the year by the American Football Coach's
Magazine in 1998;
• National assistant coach of the year by Athlon magazine in 1991;
• Architect of the nation's top-ranked total defense and passing defense in 1998 and the nation's best rushing defense in 1996 and 1997;
• His FSU defense has been ranked in the top five nationally against the run in seven
of the last 16 seasons. No other program has produced more top 10 rushing defenses since the 1999 national championship season;
• The Seminoles led the nation in tackles for loss in 2008, ranked fourth in sacks and
sixth in pass defense;
• Has won five national championships as a player (Alabama) and a coach;
• A member of three halls of fame - Livingston (now West Alabama), Wiregrass
(Dothan, Ala.) and State of Alabama Hall of Fame;
• Has coached two Jim Thorpe Award winners (Deion Sanders and Terrell Buckley),
two Butkus Award winners (Paul McGowan and Marvin Jones) and two Lombardi Award winners (Jones and Jamal Reynolds);
• Has been instrumental in launching the coaching careers of his former FSU players
including current assistant Odell Haggins and graduate assistant Terrell Buckley, as
well as Brian Xanders, James Colzie, Bill Ragans and countless others.

What They Are Saying About Coach Andrews:

Bobby Bowden, Florida State head coach
"He's been here 26 years and we've had such success and you just have to credit him with the success we've had since he came. He's done such a great job. We'll miss him and his wife and family. He's a good church man and a good civic man and always has his priorities in order and puts his family ahead of football. He's a guy that has never slowed down. He's just as enthusiastic now as he was when he came here."

Deion Sanders, FSU cornerback
"First of all, Coach Andrews is the best coach that I've ever been coached by. His coaching, wisdom and instruction carried over into my personal life and those of all the players he coached. Not a single day goes by when I am coaching, mentoring or teaching somebody that I don't use things Coach Andrews taught me. He is one of the all-time great defensive coaches in college football history. I believe that next to Bobby Bowden, he probably has had the biggest influence on athletics at Florida State. College football will miss Coach Andrews and his former players will miss seeing him out there, but he should be
congratulated on his great career."

Terrell Buckley, FSU All-American cornerback and defensive graduate assistant
"I really came to Florida State for two reasons. Number one, was him and the other was we had a bunch of TV games the next year. From that point up until now he's meant a lot; like a father figure on what it takes to be successful. Professionally, from being what I call my supervisor, just learning what it takes to be a great coach, dealing with different players and personalities and how you prepare for a ballgame, what is acceptable and what is not. … He's just welcomed me with open arms. Words can't describe, when you combine the personal and professional, what he has done for me. He's been tremendous."

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