Clark: This could end up being pivotal moment of FSU's Norvell Era
What happened on Thursday might end up being the most important 24-hour period of Mike Norvell's career at Florida State.
Think about it. He's taken over a program that has gone 18-20 the last three years. He has a roster full of players that don't know what it's like to have a winning record in September, much less at the end of November. He has a fan base that is still reeling from the last coaching hire.
And he wakes up on Thursday morning and sees that his best player, and team leader, has essentially called him a liar and said the team is "outraged" and won't be working out until further notice.
The good news for Norvell: He probably won't face a much more difficult challenge than this any time soon. He certainly can't face a more important one in regards to building trust with his players and recruits.
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Everything else — from dealing with angry boosters after a loss to dealing with losing a QB commit the week before Signing Day — is going to feel like a warm summer breeze compared to a headline-grabbing tweet about you not being truthful. Especially considering what the tweet was about. And even more so considering it came from the guy who probably has more clout in that locker room than anyone not named Odell Haggins.
Whether you think Norvell's quote was a big deal or not doesn't matter. Marvin Wilson thought it was a big deal. And so did his teammates. Which, you know, makes it a big deal.
From everything we can tell, it seems as if Norvell struck the right notes in a team meeting Thursday morning. Players began tweeting support for their head coach around lunch time, and then Wilson came out and posted an video on social media that I encourage all of you to watch.
Norvell responded with a statement of his own that you can see here:
There are more important things in the world than Florida State football. As Wilson detailed in that extraordinary video above, there are certainly more important things in the world to him.
And he has every right to express exactly how he feels. He also has every right to want assurances from his first-year head coach that he's not a person who pretends to stand for something but doesn't back it up with actions.
This is 2020. The world is changing right under our feet.
Future NFL Hall of Famer Drew Brees' teammates had no qualms lighting him up on Twitter for a remark they didn't care for, so you best believe there are going to be college football players voicing opinions when they're upset. Especially if the target of their frustration is their third head coach in four years.
Trust me, Marvin Wilson didn't fire off that tweet lightly. He is not a thoughtless person. He is a leader. On a team that has desperately needed one the last few years. This guy is smart. He's mature. He's supremely talented. And by all accounts, he has the respect of every single person in that locker room.
So if you lose Marvin Wilson, buddy, you might just lose the entire team. Before you've even coached a single game!
Which is why it was imperative that Norvell handled this situation quickly and correctly.
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