Colonel Sanders has his 11 herbs and spices. Florida State's Figg Family Dining Hall has its honey fried chicken.
The difference? The Colonel's recipe spawned Kentucky Fried Chicken, one of the most iconic fast food chains in American culture. The Figg's recipe "helped" the Seminoles land Marvin Wilson, the nation's No. 1 defensive tackle.
Advantage. Florida State.
Wilson, who is rated by Rivals as the No. 2 player in America, made his decision Wednesday on national television. Prior to his televised ceremony, he did a pre-recorded segment in which he was asked about the best food he's had on a recruiting visit.
"The best meal I had by far was when I was at Florida State," Wilson said. "They had this thing called 'honey fried chicken.' I was like, 'that sounds kinda suspect' and I got one piece. I bit into that one piece of chicken and went and grabbed the pan and we ate that whole pan of honey fried chicken.
"That's probably the best chicken I've ever had in my life."
Social media was abuzz about Wilson's decision and the role honey fried chicken may or may not have played in getting him to Tallahassee.
Fans chimed in about the dish, and even freshman linebacker Dontavious Jackson, who like Wilson is from Houston, shared his thoughts.
One FSU fan even went as far as making a Twitter account called, you guessed it, @HoneyFryChicken.
The account's bio reads, "So damn good I received 5 stars from a 5 star!"
"I mean, I definitely did not think that our chicken would be a deciding factor," joked FSU sports dietitian Kayli Hrdlicka. "I am sure there's more that went into [Wilson's decision] than that. Not to speak for everyone who works at The Figg, but we're honored that he likes the food that we offered."
Hrdlicka said honey fried chicken, despite its newfound public popularity, is a cuisine only served on certain occasions.
It's served during the season on the Monday after a victory. She said it's part of a family night involving FSU's coaches, players, support staff and their families. If FSU wins, the dining hall will serve both honey fried chicken and crab legs.
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The chicken is also served once a week, on Fridays, for lunch during the offseason.
"Usually, honey fried chicken is not at the top of our list (for nutrition)," Hrdlicka said. "But when you do the work, you have to have the reward. They do a good job in The Figg of making it delicious."
Bizarre stories on National Signing Day have basically become a pastime much like the faux holiday itself.
There's been tales of players dramatically changing schools at the last minute or parents rushing off with their son's National Letter of Intent.
It's common to hear players discuss how facilities shape their decision. Then again, how many players openly talk about a food in such great detail that a small, cult-like following is created within minutes?
Hrdlicka said nutrition is playing a larger role in recruiting than most think. She said several players, who are leaving home for the first time, do have an emotional attachment to food made by their fathers and/or mothers.
She said finding a school with certain food options could lead to a recruit feeling more at ease. At the same time, food could also provide comfort for anyone who might be feeling homesick.
"It's really good chicken and the thing that's more surprising is, it's not coming from a restaurant," said Hrdlicka, who is a fan of the chicken. "It's coming from a college dining hall. You can tell they put a lot of care into it. You can tell they care a lot about the players."
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