After returning to the Florida State football team earlier this year as a walk-on and impressing coaches during the spring and summer, junior center Andrew Boselli was rewarded with a full scholarship during practice on Tuesday.

Boselli originally signed with the Seminoles in the class of 2016 but left the program shortly after Willie Taggart was hired to replace Jimbo Fisher.

Here is a social media clip from FSU announcing the scholarship presentation:

Below is the story we wrote earlier this month about Boselli's strong return to the program:

It was around this time last year that Andrew Boselli really started lying to himself.

As he watched video clips and photos from Florida State's 2018 preseason workouts, Boselli would tell anyone who would listen that he was thrilled with his decision to give up football.

"Aw, I don't miss that!" Boselli would say. "That's brutal."

It was about six months earlier that the young offensive lineman had walked away from the sport he once loved -- the sport that brought his father, Tony Boselli, fame and riches as one of the most celebrated offensive linemen in NFL history.

It was a surprising decision, but not totally out of the blue.

Like many FSU players, Boselli was disappointed that the Seminoles had endured a sub-par 2017 campaign, and he was equally dismayed about the coaches who recruited him leaving at the end of that season.

"The main reason I came to Florida State was for Coach Jimbo Fisher," Boselli explained on Sunday during the team's annual Media Day. "So him leaving the team definitely was a big heart-wrencher for me."

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With his passion for football dwindling, Boselli decided to step away from the sport and take a summer job in another state. It wasn't until he walked back inside Doak Campbell Stadium a few times during the 2018 season -- this time as a student and fan, instead of as a player -- that he recognized that football was still in his heart.

"I realized I still had something left in the tank and I could still contribute," Boselli said. "Being in the stadium and being in the stands was just hard. ... It's one of those things where you don't really know what you have until you lose it. So definitely, stepping away from the game, I gained a new appreciation and motivation."

Before that fall was over, Boselli was back in the weight room, working on his own toward a comeback.

He didn't know if a return to Florida State was even an option -- coaches generally aren't very forgiving when players quit their programs -- but Boselli was determined to play again somewhere.

His first order of business was trying to get back into shape. Then once he saw that head coach Willie Taggart was holding open tryouts for walk-ons in January, Boselli swallowed his pride and gave it a shot.

"I talked to Coach Tag after, and he said I had a really good tryout, and he gave me an opportunity," Boselli said. "Obviously, there was a need at the offensive line position. So they said anyone that could come in and contribute, they'd welcome it."

With Taggart's blessing, Boselli returned to the FSU locker room for spring practice -- this time as a walk-on instead of a scholarship player. The next hurdle was seeing how he would be accepted by his teammates.

To Boselli's surprise, the Seminoles' players welcomed him back with "open arms" -- especially once they saw how committed he was to helping the team.

"I definitely had to prove to them that I was in it," Boselli said. "Stepping away obviously was questionable. But coming back, they saw the way I was working in the spring -- and the new motivation and kind of vigor I had -- it showed guys I was bought in. I was willing to contribute."

The next step was shaking off the rust from a year away from the game, and also regaining the strength he had lost due to inactivity. The blocking techniques and footwork came back relatively quickly, but it would be months before he felt like his old self again.

Boselli credited FSU strength coach Irele Oderinde and the Seminoles' nutrition staff with getting him back to where he was before the hiatus -- if not better.

"This fall camp, I feel like I've been able to hold my own," said Boselli, who has bulked back up to 308 pounds on his 6-foot, 5-inch frame. "I feel like I'm at the top of my game."

Florida State's coaches are understandably excited to have Boselli back in the fold. Junior Baveon Johnson enters this season as the projected starter at center, but Boselli gives them a second quality option.

"He's extremely smart," first-year offensive line coach Randy Clements said. "He understands football. He understands what you're trying to do. He thinks like a coach. ... Just like everybody else, he's got things that he needs to work on. But he's conscious of those things and tries to get better at them every day. ...

"I just know the Andrew that's been out there since I've been out there, and he's worked his tail off every day."

The Boselli-Clements relationship is one of mutual admiration. The junior lineman called Clements' arrival earlier this year a "huge blessing" for him personally. He said he loves the way Clements teaches and how he tailors his practices to the areas where the linemen need the most improvement.

Boselli is equally grateful to Taggart for giving him a second chance.

"He's been unbelievable," the Jacksonville product said of his head coach. "He's really helped me, welcomed me back, and it's been a great opportunity."

It is yet to be determined what role Boselli will play for the Seminoles this season. While most in the media expect Johnson to be the starter, Boselli has certainly made it a real competition. And even if Johnson commands the top spot, Clements said both centers will likely get opportunities to play this fall.

Clements pointed out that it's difficult for offensive linemen to play 85 or 90 snaps in an up-tempo offense without getting some relief.

"Both of those guys have pushed each other," Clements said. "Both have gotten better in camp. So I'm excited to see what both of those guys can do this fall. ... I see us playing multiple guys across the board."

No matter what happens this fall, Boselli is thrilled with his decision to return to football and the Seminoles. He knew it as soon as he came back last spring, and he proved it to himself by embracing the grueling preseason workouts that he scoffed at one year ago.

In less than two weeks, Florida State will open the 2019 season against Boise State in Jacksonville -- inside the same stadium where Boselli's father starred for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 1995 through 2001.

Eighteen months after walking away from the game, it could be Boselli's happiest homecoming ever.

"I am unbelievably excited," the younger Boselli said. "As we've been running stadiums or maxing out in the weight room the whole summer, that's been the thought in my mind: Suiting up and [playing] where I grew up. So it's like a dream come true for me. I cannot wait. I'm fired up."

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