When Sean Maguire broke a small bone in his right foot on the second day of preseason camp, team doctors told Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher his senior quarterback likely wouldn't be available until the second or third week of the season.
On Monday night in Orlando, when the Seminoles opened up against Ole Miss, Maguire was in full uniform, taking snaps with the second-team offense.
It was just the latest gutsy comeback effort for a player who has seemingly had to overcome one obstacle after another since he committed to FSU back in 2011.
Just when you think he's done, he keeps coming back.
"I think Sean is a competitor, and he does not lack any confidence," said John Finnegan, who coached Maguire at Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) for four seasons. "I think going to Florida State, he saw it as a challenge."
Maguire committed to FSU as a three-star prospect during the summer before his senior year of high school. Soon after, the Seminoles landed a commitment from five-star recruit Jameis Winston, the nation's No. 1 quarterback.
While friends and others suggested Maguire reconsider his college choice, the New Jersey native sounded defiant when he spoke with Warchant.com at the time: "I committed in June, and I'm not going to let someone dictate where I want to go to school the next five years."
It would be just the first of many tests.
Maguire patiently waited out Winston's illustrious tenure, only to have Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson transfer to FSU in 2015, just as Winston was leaving for the NFL.
It wasn't until Golson got injured and then struggled late in the season that Maguire got his chance to take over, and he responded by leading the Seminoles to late-season wins against Syracuse, N.C. State, Chattanooga and Florida.
Then after breaking his left ankle in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, which forced him to miss all of spring practice, Maguire found himself in a battle with redshirt freshman Deondre Francois during preseason camp. That lasted less than a week, of course, as Maguire sustained the right foot injury.
Then on Monday night, after rushing through his recovery, he got to watch Francois account for nearly 500 yards of total offense and two touchdowns in his first start -- a 45-34 victory over then-No. 11 Ole Miss. Francois now appears to have a firm grasp on the starting job.
Simply, nothing ever comes easy for Maguire.
"The part that's impressed me most is he stuck it through," said Maguire's sister, Mackenzie, a lacrosse player at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. "He stayed at FSU when he obviously could have left. He definitely is a true Seminole."
Maguire is know around the program for being a "team-first guy," and Fisher has said several times that is why Maguire is so well-liked and respected by his teammates.
His Seton Hall Prep coaches say that always has been the case. Although Maguire knew his future in college would be running a pro-style offense, he was required to operate a run-oriented Wing-T system in high school.
Finnegan said Maguire never complained about the offense or how he was used.
"Everything was about the team," Finnegan said. "Good example is his senior year. We never played him on defense. We were short some at defensive back, and he crossed over and played defense for us.
"He would do anything to help the team."
Barney Lantry, who was Seton Hall's quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator, described Maguire as a tireless worker. Lantry said there were times he had to find ways to stop Maguire from throwing after practice so they could save his arm for the upcoming game.
Part of Maguire's appeal to coaches and teammates is he never stops preparing. Lantry remembers calling Maguire on a Saturday night this past December and finding out his former pupil was studying his playbook.
"We spoke around 10 p.m., and he was watching film by himself," Lantry said. "This was a Saturday night. He was studying Houston to make sure he was totally prepared and putting the time in on a Saturday."
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Knowing the amount of work he put in before finally getting his chance is what made the Peach Bowl -- and the months of rehabilitation after it -- so tough for Maguire's family.
Mackenzie said her brother spent all summer rehabbing his ankle. Because he spent most of the summer in Tallahassee, she only saw him for the one week he returned home to New Jersey.
So when Maguire broke his other foot at the start of preseason camp, the family was crushed for him.
"It's been really heartbreaking," Mackenzie said. "We've been in tears at one point. Just when one thing was going good, something would happen. We're hoping and praying for good things for him."
Mackenzie said her brother is her biggest role model because of how he handles these situations.
"If I am having a tough day going to lacrosse, I picture my brother," she said. "He never quits. He's the hardest-working person I know. He definitely keeps me motivated."
Maguire told reporters during FSU's Media Day -- days after suffering the injury -- it was "devastating" for him and his family to suffer such a setback. He vowed to help Francois and the rest of the team's quarterbacks while sidelined.
Donning a protective boot, he was already offering tips later that day at FSU's open practice inside Doak Campbell Stadium. He was doing the same Monday night in Orlando.
"Great parents. Great guy. Great soul. Great heart," Fisher said. "And they keep fighting through. It's amazing. It's sad [that he got hurt again], but you also know he's going to be successful at everything he does in life. And I think he's going to have a huge part in our season before it's over with."
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