Moments after Tuesday's grueling Tour of Duty workout, Florida State strength and conditioning coach Josh Storms met with the media to talk about the gains he has seen from the Seminoles' players.
The first question he was asked was about the difference between now and two years ago, which was his first offseason with the Seminoles.
He said it is immense.
"Tour of Duty is a different thing," Storms said. "I don't care who you are, I don't care what level you are or anything else, it takes a year to kind of get your feet under you and mentally get your head wrapped around what Tour of Duty's will throw at you.
"You see the growth. You see guys who may have struggled (two years ago), and you see those guys leading groups and excelling now. Because they've been in the program. And not just being in better shape and everything else, but being mentally tougher, mentally stronger."
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The Tour of Duty, which features an hour of running, jumping, agility drills and other exercises, takes place multiple times per week in the winter, but Tuesday's session was the only one open to the media.
*ALSO SEE: Initial observations of FSU transfers and freshman early enrollees
*AND SEE: Observations of FSU veterans from Tour of Duty
While the Tour is only one part of the Seminoles' offseason conditioning program, it's at the core of everything head coach Mike Norvell is trying to instill in this program.
He wants physical and mental toughness, he wants discipline, and he wants a willingness to push through even when things aren't going well. It's a workout that is arduous and exhausting even for the older guys. And the new guys have never experienced anything like it.
With that in mind, Storms was asked how the new players had acclimated to the offseason regimen. And he said highly touted defensive end transfer Jared Verse has been impressive not only with his physical skills but his mindset as well.
"That dude is a certified freak of nature," Storms said.
On the other side of the ball, he said Wisconsin OL transfer Kayden Lyles has been a great addition to the position group. He's a veteran who has played a lot of football, lifted a lot of weights and has taken some younger linemen under his wing this offseason.
All in all, Storms said the new guys have fit in well during their first exposure to Tour of Duty and the offseason program.
"It's been good," he said. "So, if you look at the team this year, with 109 guys on the roster right now, I believe 45 or 46 guys this is their very first winter program. ... So their first Tour of Duty was seven weeks ago. So you see the growth of those guys. Some guys come in very ready and some guys go through young-guy stuff.
"But once again, whether you're a transfer guy or an early enrollee freshman, Tour of Duty is a different deal, right?"
Storms says one of the big benefits of Tour of Duty is the anxiety it creates among the players. It's not a regular workout.
The head coach is there watching and pushing. The position coaches and coordinators are helping to lead drills.
It creates the kind of environment and atmosphere Norvell is always trying to test his players with.
It can also create team leaders.
"That's why we start the winter program with Tour of Duty," Storms said. "Because this is your time of year where you go through a leadership void, right? All those guys (from last year) are gone. Those are the guys that were leaders. So, now who leads?
"Well, you've got guys who want to lead, who have been growing towards being leaders, but they haven't actually done it yet. Or they've done it in a small role and now they're ready for that bigger stage. And that's why we start with Tour of Duty. Because Tour of Duty provides ample opportunity for those guys to step up and take hold of those moments."
At the end of the day, the coaches can hold the players accountable all they want. But a program that truly has the culture Norvell is pushing for is one in which the players hold each other accountable.
Getting there is always one of the most important steps in rebuilding a program. And in Tour of Duty, as Storms alluded to, there is ample opportunity for players to hold each other accountable and also support one another.
"That's immeasurable," Storms said. "Ultimately you'd like your program to be coach-fed and player-led. Let us steer it the right direction, let us provide coaching ... and let the guys lead. Let the guys drive, let the guys pick their peers up. Because it means way more coming from the guy you rode to the workout with and you live with than it ever does coming from a coach who did this forever ago.
"And you see that starting to happen."
Note: The top performers in FSU's "Tour of Duty" drills get to wear black game jerseys, while others wear garnet or white. The three players wearing black Tuesday were DL Malcolm Ray, DB Renardo Green and QB Tate Rodemaker.
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