Florida State's football recruiting class of 1993
Even rival head coach Steve Spurrier can't believe Florida State's run of recruiting success. FSU's last six recruiting classes have been among the best in school history. Since 1988, 26 Parade All-Americans, 21 USA Today All-Americans, and 22 Super Prep All-Americans have arrived at Florida State - This year's class alone includes 11 All-Americans, as named by one or more of the three publications.
Chad Bates OFFENSIVE LINE 6-4,270, FRESHMAN, COLUMBIA, S.C. (SPRING VALLEY HS)- Named to Super Prep's All-America team ... a member of Blue Chip Illustrated's Dream Team ... considered the fourth-best player in South Carolina ... garnered first team All-East honors from Big East-ACC Recruiting Magazine ... rated the nation's third- best offensive guard by Max Emfinger ... led his team to the semifinals of the state Big 16 playoffs ... earned honorable mention USA Today All-America honors ... had 10 pancake blocks, 19 knockdown blocks and graded out at 82 percent for the season.
Scott Bentley KICKING SPECIALIST 6-1,175, FRESHMAN, AURORA, COLO. (OVERLAND HS)-
The top high school kicker in the nation ... a two-time Parade All-American ... named to the USA Today All-America team ... a member of Super Prep's All-America squad ... made Blue Chip Illustrated's Dream Team ... the eighth best player in the Midlands region according to Super Prep ... the country's best kicker, said Tom Lemming and Max Emfinger ... as a senior, split the uprights on 11 of-13 field goal tries inside 50 yards ... nailed all 40 extra point attempts ... connected on seven field goals of 50 yards or more... made game-winning kicks from 57 and 58 yards ... in his career, made 35-of-50 field goals with most misses coming from over 50 yards.
Peter Boulware OUTSIDE LINEBACKER 6-5, 230, FRESHMAN, COLUMBIA, S.C. (SPRING VALLEY HS)- Considered one of the top 20 players in South Carolina by SuperPrep ... picked to the Atlanta Constitution's team of America's top 50 players ... listed in the Dallas Morning News' top 100 players ... named to the All-East team by Big East-ACC Recruiting Magazine ... a member of Blue Chip Illustrated's Dream Team... earned all-state honors ... rated the nation's 10th-best outside linebacker by Tom Lemming ... tallied 132 tackles and 14 sacks his senior season...also blocked two punts.
Gideon Brown OFFENSIVE LINE 6-3, 276, FRESHMAN, SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (STRATFORD HS)- Earned Super Prep All-America status...rated one of the top 10 players in the state by Super Prep ... achieved first team 4A all-state honors ... rated the seventh-best center in the nation by Tom Lemming ... received honorable mention All-America status from USA Today .. considered the fifth-best prospect in his state by Alex Komins of Big East-ACC Recruiting Service ... as a senior, had an average blocking grade of 83 percent ... tallied 38 knockdown blocks...one of four FSU signees from South Carolina in 1993.
Thad Busby QUARTERBACK 6.3,200, FRESHMAN, PACE, FLA. (PACE HS)-
The Gatorade player of the year for the state of Florida... earned Parade Magazine All-America honors ... considered the number one quarterback in the South by Southern Recruiting ... a member of USA Today's second team All-America squad ... first team all-state selection ... selected to Super Prep's All-America team ... Super Prep also called him the second-best player in Florida ... Class 3A player of the year ... runner-up for Florida's Mr. Football award ... completed 114-of-134 passes for 1,573 yards and 15 touchdowns in a run-oriented offense ... threw only four interceptions ... led Pace to the semifinals of the 3A state championship ... in his career, passed for 4,355 yards and 31 touchdowns ... quarterbacked Florida to a 21-7 victory in the Florida-Georgia All-Star Game ... threw two touchdown passes, including a 92-yarder... completed 9-of-15 passes for 249 yards in the game.
Daryl Bush INSIDE LINEBACKER 6,3, 218, FRESHMAN, ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FLA. (LAKE BRANTLEY HS)-
Dominant linebacker who was a first team USA Today All-American ... selected the Orlando Touchdown Club Defensive Player of the Year ... rated the best linebacker in the country by Super Prep ... a member of Blue Chip Illustrated's Dream Team ... considered the second-best linebacker in the country by Blue Chip Illustrated ... a Super Senior ... garnered Orlando Sentinel All-South and Super 24 honors ... a first team Class 5A selection ... as a senior, made 179 tackles including 29 for loss and eight sacks...led Florida with six tackles, four solo, in the Florida-Georgia All-Star Game.
Byron Capers SAFETY 6-1, 210, FRESHMAN, MARIETTA, GA. (WHEELER HS)-
Considered one of the best defensive backs in the country by Super Prep ... a member of USA Today's second team All-America squad ... among Max Emfinger's top 60 players in the nation ... one of the top 10 players on Super Prep's all-Dixie team ... a Blue Chip Magazine All-American... ranked among Tom Lemming's top 20 cornerbacks ... earned first team all-state honors ... totalled 117 tackles as a senior ... as a running back, earned 1,305 yards on 147 carries ... represented FSU on the Georgia side in the Florida-Georgia All-Star Game... returned four punts for 22 yards.
James Colzie CORNERBACK 5-10, 160, FRESHMAN, MIAMI, FLA. (SOUTH MIAMI HS)-
Garnered second team 5A all-state honors ... an all-Dade County selection ... rated the third best defensive back in the Southeast by Blue Chip Illustrated ... one of the top 50 players in the state of Florida, according to SuperPrep... set a record with 25 interceptions in his career ... registered 37 solo tackles as a senior...comes from an athletic bloodline as his uncle is former Ohio State and Oakland Raiders star Neal Colzie.
Andre Cooper WIDE RECEIVER 6-3,170, FRESHMAN, JACKSONVILLE, FLA. (FLETCHER HS)-
The best receiver to come out of Florida since Anthony Carter ... a first team All-American by Parade and USA Today ... named the Florida Player of the Year by USA Today .. SuperPrep's Dixie offensive player of the year ... a first team 5A all-state selection ... picked to the Orlando Sentinel's Super 24 and All-South squads ... tabbed a SuperPrep All-American ... rated one of the top three wide receivers in the nation ... considered one of the top three players in Florida ... the number one receiver on Blue Chip Illustrated's Dream Tearn ... as a senior, snared 67 passes for 1,060 yards and 12 touchdowns ... averaged almost 20 yards per punt return ... totalled 105 receptions for 1,861 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career ... also an all-state basketball player who was a runner-up for Florida's Mr. Basketball Award in 1993 while leading his team to the state final ... caught five passes for 68 yards in the Florida-Georgia AllStar Game.
Samuel Cowart INSIDE LINEBACKER 6-3, 215, FRESHMAN, JACKSONVILLE, FLA. (MANDARIN HS)-
Named Jacksonville's Defensive Player of the Year by the Florida Times-Union ... a SuperPrep All-American and USA Today honorable mention All-American ... rated the 18th-best player in Florida ... considered one of the top linebackers in the Southeast by Blue Chip Illustrated ... a first team Class 4A all-state choice ... led his team to a district title ... registered 149 tackles, including 14 for loss ... also had three sacks, two pass knockdowns and three fumble recoveries.
Warrick Dunn TAILBACK 5-9,165, FRESHMAN, BATON ROUGE, LA. (CATHOLIC HS)-
Versatile athlete who played quarterback, running back and cornerback in high school... earned USA Today honorable mention All-America honors... considered one of the top 10 players in Louisiana by Super Prep ... Orlando Sentinel all-South honorable mention choice... named to the all-state team ... as a senior, played quarterback and rushed for 1,189 yards ... averaged 10.5 yards per carry ... also threw for 487 yards ... scored 17 touchdowns and accumulated 2,293 total yards.
Ernie "E.G." Green WIDE RECEIVER 6.1,190, FRESHMAN, FT. WALTON BEACH, FLA. (FT. WALTON BEACH HS)-
Chosen to USA Today's honorable mention All-America squad ... a Super Prep All-American...called the ninth-best wide receiver in the nation... rated the 16th-best player in Florida by Super Prep...one of the Top 40 players in the state according to the Tampa Tribune ... played both running back and wide receiver as a senior ... as a tailback, rushed for 514 yards and nine touchdowns ... snared 26 passes and five touchdowns ... participated in the Florida-Georgia All-Star Game.
Jermaine Green CORNERBACK 5-10,180, FRESHMAN, BROOKSVILLE, FLA. (HERNANDO HS)-
Earned the Tampa Tribune's Player of the Year honor ... selected to the St. Petersburg Times' All-Suncoast Team ... a first team 3A all-state pick ... USA Today honorable mention All-American... one of the top 50 players in the state according to Super Prep... as a senior, rushed for 1,748 yards and 23 touchdowns ... participated in the Florida-Georgia All-Star Game ... made one tackle and broke up a pass ... the son of former FSU football great Larry Key, who still holds several Florida State records and ranks second on the career rushing list.
Kevin Long OFFENSIVE LINE 6-6, 240, FRESHMAN, SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (SUMMERVILLE HS)-
One of four Parade All-Americans in this year's recruiting class ... named to SuperPrep's AllAmerica team ... an honorable mention USA Today All-American ... garnered all-state honors ... considered the 11th-best offensive lineman in the nation by Super Prep ... labeled the second-best player in South Carolina by Super Prep ... member of Blue Chip Illustrated's Dream Team.
Jeremy Morris SAFETY 6-2, 202, FRESHMAN, QUINCY, FLA. (ROBERT F. MUNROE HS)- A first team all-state selection as a safety ... earned all-Big Bend honors ... played both quarterback and safety ... as a quarterback, rushed for 856 yards and 16 touchdowns ... threw for 734 yards and nine scores ... on defense, intercepted five passes, returning two for touchdowns ... recorded 69 tackles ... also had a 70-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Melvin Pearsall INSIDE LINEBACKER 6-2, 218, FRESHMAN, LAKE WALES, FLA. (LAKE WALES HS)-
Versatile athlete who played both linebacker and tight end in high school ... named to the Class 3A all-state team ... played in the Florida-Georgia All-Star Game in June ... at tight end, caught two passes for 43 yards in the
game.. made 18 receptions for 98 yards his senior year...as a linebacker, registered 127 tackles and three interceptions.
Julian Pittman DEFENSIVE END 6.5, 265, FRESHMAN, NICEVILLE, FLA. (NICEVILLE HS)-
Earned USA Today first team All-America status ... selected to Florida's Super 24 team ... named the Panhandle's Defensive Player of the Year by the Pensacola News Journal .. member of Blue Chip Illustrated's Dream Team ... the sixth-best defensive lineman in the country according to Super Prep...tagged a Super Prep AllAmerican ... named to the 5A all-state team ... rated the second-best defensive end in the nation by Max Emfinger ... registered 83 tackles and four sacks as a senior ... also caused four fumbles, recovered two and intercepted a pass ... made three tackles as a defensive lineman in the FloridaGeorgia All-Star Game ... also recorded a sack and a tackle for loss in the contest.
Ricardo "Rock" Preston TAILBACK 5.9,175, FRESHMAN, MIAMI, FLA. (HIALEAH SENIOR HS)-
Rated the number five wingback in the nation by Tom Lemming ... earned USA Today honorable mention All-America status ... considered one of the top running backs in the Southeast by Blue Chip Illustrated.. played in a shortened (seven game) season due to Hurricane Andrew in 1992 ... rushed for 1,055 yards on 128 carries for an 8.2-yard average ... scored 14 touchdowns in seven games ... led all Dade County class 5A schools in rushing.
Phillip Riley WIDE RECEIVER 6-1, 175, SOPHOMORE, ORLANDO, FLA. (GARDEN CITY JC/JONES HS)-
Entered FSU last spring and competed on the track team... qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track Championships in the 55m hurdles ... participated in spring football drills with FSU in 1993 ... did not play football last year at Garden City in order to preserve a year of eligibility ... as a freshman at GCJC, caught 25 passes for 513 yards and five touchdowns ... also averaged 31.7 yards on kickoff returns and 15.3 yards on punt returns ... as a senior at Jones High, named All-American by Parade, USA Today and Super Prep ... a class 3A all - state selection ... also a member of Max Emfinger's All-America second team ... tabbed for the Super 24 team by the Orlando Sentinel.
Phillip Simpson SAFETY 5-11, 195, FRESHMAN, MELBOURNE, FLA. (MELBOURNE HS)-
An all-district safety for Melbourne High ... second team 5A all-state selection ... as a senior, tallied 126 tackles and five fumble recoveries ... high school coach says he hits like a linebacker from his safety position ... from the same high school that produced former Seminole linebacker Ed Clark and present defensive lineman Connell Spain.
Greg Spires INSIDE LINEBACKER 6-2, 230, FRESHMAN, CAPE CORAL, FLA. (MARINER HS)-
Named to Blue Chip Illustrated's all-region team ... garnered USA Today honorable mention All-America honors ... played both fullback and linebacker in high school ... named his district's player of the year ... as a junior, rushed for 846 yards and 12 touchdowns ... in his senior season, gained more than 900 yards ... over four years of high school, averaged 11 solo tackles a game ... also blocked three punts ... one of the top 50 players in the state of Florida, according to Super Prep.
Tra Thomas DEFENSIVE END 6-8,288, FRESHMAN, DELAND, FLA. (DELAND HS)-
Received honorable mention Super 24 honors ... an honorable mention all-state selection ... rated among the top 40 players in the state by Super Prep ... as a junior, tallied 140 tackles and 15 sacks... tallest player on the 1993 FSU team and one of the tallest to ever play at Florida State.
Clarence Williams FULLBACK 6-4, 240, FRESHMAN, CRESCENT CITY, FLA. (CRESCENT CITY HS)-
A member of USA Today's second team All-America list... selected to the Class 2A all-state team for the third consecutive year ... garnered Northeast Florida/ Southeast Georgia Player of the Year honors from the Florida Times Union ... considered the number one fullback prospect in the country by Lemming ... Max Emfinger rated him third in the nation at his position ... ranked in the top 10 of all running backs by Super Prep ... a member of Blue Chip Illustrated's Dream Team ... the fourth-best player in the state according to Super Prep ... as a senior, rushed for 1,737 yards and 25 touchdowns ... for his career, totalled 5,090 yards, the seventh-best total in Florida history ... scored 73 touchdowns and had 15 100-yard and nine 200-yard games in his career ... as a sophomore, gained a career high 325 yards in one game... tallied 479 career points to rank sixth all-time in the state.
Rhodney Williams TIGHT END 6-6,240, FRESHMAN, PALATKA, FLA. (PALATKA HS)-
Considered one of the nation's top tight ends, despite playing only two games as a senior ... named to Super Prep's All-America squad ... rated the second-best tight end in the country by Super Prep ... considered the number one tight end in the Southeast by Blue Chip Illustrated... listed as the state's 10th-best player by Super Prep ... in two games, rushed for 70 yards on four carries and caught one pass for 10 yards.
Rodney Wells CORNERBACK 6-0, 175, FRESHMAN, PLANTATION, FLA. (PLANTATION HS)-
Rated the fourth-best defensive back in the Southeast by Blue Chip Illustrated...earned third team all-state honors ... two-way starter at Plantation High who was voted his team's MVP ... as Plantation's signal-caller, rushed for 620 yards and nine touchdowns and threw for 510 yards and seven touchdowns ... on defense, recorded 75 tackles, four interceptions and broke up six passes.
Reinard Wilson OUTSIDE LINEBACKER 6-3, 220, FRESHMAN, LAKE CITY, FLA. (COLUMBIA HS)-
Voted the Florida Times Union's Northeast Florida Defensive Player of the Year ... an honorable mention USA Today All-American ... rated the fifth-best defensive lineman in the Southeast by Blue Chip Illustrated... considered one of the top 40 players in Florida by Super Prep ... a Super Senior 24 selection ... as a senior, was a quarterback's nightmare, tallying 20 sacks ... over his four-year career, totalled 51 sacks ... last season, registered 90 solo tackles and blocked four punts ... credited with four tackles, and two tackles for loss, in the Florida-Georgia All-Star Game.