Florida State football coach Mike Norvell answered a long list of questions Monday about the Seminoles' 0-4 start to the 2021 season. He spoke for about 30 minutes in all.
But it was the final question he was asked -- about what he's selling to recruits when they see poor results on the field -- that sparked the most passion.
Norvell spoke for more than 4 1/2 minutes about the conviction of his current players and the committed prospects for the 2022 class, and why he's convinced they are going to help turn the Seminoles' program around.
Here is that response, with a transcript below:
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"They watch the games too. They see the opportunities. They see the opportunity for themselves ... and they have a belief in who they are. And that's what I want to be around. I want to be around guys that ... it's easy to go in maybe an easier route. Something that is established. There's been a lot of change around this program over the last few years. And that affects all. That affects recruiting. It affects the guys that have to come to work every single day. ...
"When you lay out the vision of what you want. You live it out every day. The best recruiters we have here are the players. Because they're the ones that get to talk about what it is day in and day out. How our coaches care about the players. How our coaches invest. The focus on teaching fundamentals. The focus on putting playmakers in opportunities to make plays. But we've got to go out there and we've got to do a better job in every one of those areas, but I'm looking for guys that want to be a part of that process too. Guys that want to be successful. Guys that want to be challenged. Guys that are willing to step up and step out and go do something that, you know what? They're gonna have to defend, 'Why there?' 'Cause it's the best dang fit for them. It's an opportunity where they're gonna go get pushed, they're gonna get developed, they're gonna have an opportunity to play in one of the greatest places in the country. With a wonderful fan base that cares.
"Look, I'm pissed off that we're 0-4. And we can bring up how many years it's been. I don't really give ... I can't control that. I can control this team, at this moment, and right now with the opportunity. So we're gonna work our butts off to go get better. And we're gonna do it the right way. And we're gonna have a standard of how we operate. And it's gonna be the same standard that we're gonna ask them to do in the classroom, the same standard of everything that we do. And I'm gonna hold myself to it, because I've got to be the example.
"And you know what? Does that mean I'm not gonna make a mistake? I'll probably make a mistake. Might make one today, might make one tomorrow. But I will respond to that. So that's the team I want. 'Cause I've seen it work. I've been a part of teams that, you know what? They've been on a losing streak. They didn't get caught up with all the crap that was on the outside. Everybody telling you what you can't do, and oh, this is the issue and that's the issue. Yeah! It's easy to point at that. But who wants to be a part of the solution. Those are the guys we're going after.
"And there's some kids that ... 'Man, this program over here. They're well-established. They've got this, they've got that.' And you know what? Probably had a lot of continuity. There's probably been some things that have been in place for a time. So even when the adversity strikes, there's a quick response to it. We're going through that process. We're setting the foundation. We're doing it the right way. So I'm excited about the guys that we're recruiting. Because I'm excited about the guys that say yes. And then when adversity strikes, 'Oh man, you've lost a couple games. Is that still what you want to do?' The ones that stand up and step out ... those are the guys that you can guarantee are gonna be a part of the change in a positive way.
"And we have those guys here. I have those guys in that locker room right now. Because it's really easy when it's 31-7 to ... if I was a fan, I'd be pissed off at 31-7. Some of 'em stayed, some of 'em didn't. But the ones that did got to see a team that came back and responded and played their butts off 'til the end. Now were we successful? No, it was a failure. We did not win that game. ... We came up short. But they did not stop. They continued to believe.
"And for the guys that we recruit, for the coaches that are on this staff, for the players that are on this team, that's what I want. Because if you have that, you might get your butt knocked down, but you're gonna get up and you're gonna respond the right way. Yes, we are 0-4. But we have today. And Lord willing, we'll wake up tomorrow, and we'll have tomorrow. What we do with that, I've got a lot of confidence in."
Here's the complete press conference:
*ALSO SEE: Complete breakdown from Monday interviews with Norvell, coordinators
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