Ten days into preseason camp and still three weeks until they open the 2017 season against Alabama, the Florida State Seminoles are finding plenty of ways to keep focused during practice.
In the opening period of Thursday's workout, quarterback Deondre Francois and tailback Jacques Patrick held an impromptu race for the goal line during a routine pitch play. The competition appeared to end in a tie, but both players claimed victory.
Shortly after that, defensive back Derwin James and receiver Nyqwan Murray flipped the script during wide receiver drills. Murray pretended he was a defender trying to cover James, and both players took part in a little friendly trash-talking after those routes.
Then at the end of practice, Patrick and James started jawing at each other with a bit more fervor and eventually decided to settle things with a full-contact "Oklahoma drill" before head coach Jimbo Fisher intervened.
"It gets competitive out there," Patrick said with a laugh, when asked about his run-in with James. "He believes in his ability, and I believe in mine. So, line it up! That's how I feel about it.
"Every time I get a chance to go at him, I go at him. That's making me better. At the same time, it's making him better. I know if I can beat him, I can beat any safety in the country."
While he's always watching to make sure things don't get out of hand, Fisher said he loves when preseason practices get spirited.
"They're providing each other energy," he said. "They're feeding off each other."
And the battles are not limited to any one or two position groups. Every time a running back makes a big gain, Patrick said, the defense gets visibly angry. And the same goes for the offense each time a defender makes a big play.
"We're very competitive," Patrick said. "Nobody wants to lose anything. ... The juice is always flowing."
