Enjoy The Silence: Quiet approach guides FSU's Freddie Stevenson
Ask Freddie Stevenson the question, "Who is Freddie Stevenson?" and he'll respond by saying he's a laid-back person.
That's hardly a shock. Florida State's senior fullback does, after all, have the reputation for being the Seminoles' quietest player. Put the same question to others and, well, this is when everyone starts to talk.
Stevenson's parents describe him as a young man who relies upon his faith whenever he's at a crossroads in life. Teammates like junior offensive lineman Roderick Johnson and senior defensive end DeMarcus Walker say Stevenson is the embodiment of the FSU program because of how he carries himself. They say he is never selfish and is always looking to help his teammates.
And what does Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher have to say?
"Just high character. Smart. Accountable. Dependable," Fisher said. "Just everything you want in somebody. Whatever he does, he does well. He takes pride in it. He has a lot of pride in his work and gives tremendous effort."
A star linebacker in high school, Stevenson made the switch to fullback at FSU, and it seems to fit his personality to a tee. In short, he is the invisible hand of the offense. His work often goes unnoticed, yet it leads to others finding success.
The holes Stevenson clears help make it possible for junior tailback Dalvin Cook to stake his claim as the greatest running back in FSU's illustrious history. His blocks also make it possible for Deondre Francois' stature within the team and college football to grow with every throw.
Stevenson is a "program guy" in that he stayed four years, played his role and rarely complained. He's a national champion and a soon-to-be college graduate.
And on a team that has experienced many peaks and valleys, he is a steadying force.
"Just some of the things I have seen growing up. That alone, I don't really let too much shake me," Stevenson said. "If something's not going my way or something, I always feel like at the end of the day, it will get better.
"I won't get down about a situation. I've been through a lot of things."
Freddie's father, Terriss, is open about his past. He sold drugs when his children were young and then served three years in prison.
It left his wife, Sylvia, as the sole provider for their five children.
"I was brought up in a Christian home. I just went wrong," Terriss said. "One day, before I got incarcerated, my best friend said he was saved and he became a preacher. Prison became a blessing to me. A great blessing."
Sylvia said raising their young family alone was "very humbling," but she always made sure her children had clothing and food. Freddie saw those sacrifices up close -- he calls his mother, "My everything."
Upon Terriss' release from prison, the Stevensons were a family again. But lessons were learned.
"He's felt the pain," Sylvia said of Freddie. "That makes him have compassion for others. Even with teammates. Say one of his teammates needed something and he had it. Say if a teammate needed a pair of shoes or clothes, he would do everything he can to help that person."
Both Terriss and Sylvia are eager to talk about their faith and how it's helped their family over the years. They also have used it to help others by starting a ministry in Polk County, Fla. Terriss even does ministry outreach to prisons throughout Florida.
The Stevensons' faith is evident in everything from their conversations to their text messages. The signature on Terriss' text messages reads, 'Ephesians 3:20,' a Bible verse that discusses the power that can be achieved through faith.
It holds a special meaning when applied to their son. Terriss recalls that when Freddie was 4 years old, he told his parents he was going to play in the NFL. He said God told him so.
Around the same time, someone gave Freddie a Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey with Warrick Dunn's name and number on the back. Terriss said Freddie would run throughout the house pretending he was Dunn.
Those pretend carries would soon become real ones in youth leagues and high school.
"When he scored his first touchdown, I ran all the way down the field with him," Terris said. "That happened again when he was in high school. He had one high school game when he scored, my emotions got over me and I found myself jumping the gate.
"I ran out on the field and into the end zone. He just laughed after the game."
Although he has a low-key role at FSU, Freddie was a standout at Bartow High. He was rated a four-star outside linebacker by Rivals.
He held close to 30 college offers and was so strong academically that he had offers from Duke and Vanderbilt. He also was courted by power programs such as FSU, Louisville, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.
Terriss said Freddie and the entire family were actually Miami Hurricanes fans. But as Freddie's recruitment intensified, his faith led him in a different direction.
"He said, 'Dad, I am ready to commit,'" Terriss recalled. "He said, 'The Lord told me FSU.' And I said, 'Go where The Lord told you, son.'"
The decision has paid off for Stevenson and the Seminoles. After contributing as a backup on FSU's 2013 national championship team, he became a part-time starter as a sophomore and a full-time leader as a junior and senior. He has been there for nearly every step of Cook's record-setting 2015 and 2016 campaigns.
This season, Stevenson has even seen his name emerge from the shadows on occasion. After entering his senior season with 12 career carries for 41 yards and a touchdown, Stevenson has 10 carries for 60 yards and three touchdowns this year. He scored two touchdowns in FSU's 55-35 win over South Florida.
Plus, he was named a Reese's Senior Bowl participant on Monday.
But family, faith and football are only part of Stevenson's story.
When his playing days are over, his goal is to return to Polk County and do something to improve his community. He already has returned home on several occasions to speak to area youths about making better choices.
"Freddie, he leads by example," said Walker, who was Stevenson's freshman roommate. "You rarely see Freddie mess up. You don't see Freddie do anything bad off the field. Freddie's a great guy."
* Also See: What's the latest with the Jimbo Fisher-LSU rumors?
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