A college football team's journey from its first offseason workout in January to a season opener in August or September is long, arduous and can sometimes feel like an endless slog from one workout to the next.

But there are some days along the way that feel more significant than the rest.

Wednesday's first practice in full pads felt like one of those days for the Florida State football team.

There were some big-time plays -- from some guys you'd expect and some others you might not -- there were tempers flaring, there were back-and-forth battles between several position groups, and there was a sense that neither side of the ball was going to back down from the other.

"I thought the physicality showed up," third-year head coach Mike Norvell said. "It was good to see some newcomers going through that first padded practice. There were some big eyes in moments. But I thought all in all, we had a good tempo. Not a great tempo, but a good tempo of practice.

"It was our best first padded practice, I would say, we've had here."

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It would be a really bad sign if it weren't.

The vast majority of the players on this roster now are Mike Norvell recruits. They either signed out of high school or transferred in from another college, but most of them came to play for Norvell and this staff. And the ones who remain from previous regimes have had many opportunities to look for greener pastures, but they have chosen to stay at Florida State.

That's important to note. And you could see why it's important during a practice like Wednesday's, when the pads were popping, the tempo was increasing, the pressure of competition was rising, and Norvell was running around, looking for opportunities to push guys to a higher level.

"If they do not get challenged, there's an opportunity to be stagnant," Norvell said afterward, "And we will not do that."

That much is clear. And the older players know it well.

It's why a veteran like Jammie Robinson, who Norvell playfully teased after receiver Keyshawn Helton beat him for a couple of completions Wednesday, could take the ribbing in stride and move on to the next rep. While it might be a little more trying for a newcomer who has only been on campus for a couple of months.

And the Seminoles have 23 of those newcomers taking part this spring.

When one of those newer faces got into shoving matches after a couple of physical plays Wednesday, Norvell went ballistic. He made it clear to that player -- and everyone within a country mile -- that those mental lapses won't be tolerated.

When the play is over, no matter what the opposing player has done, it's time to move on to the next play. (If you'll remember, FSU was hurt by some of those emotional retaliations in the 2021 season finale against Florida.)

"Guys get emotional in pads," Norvell said. "We see some of those moments, some of those teachable moments, in just our response. But thought it was good. ... Sometimes it's different for them. Everybody's got a different background, way that they've operated. We've got our standard of growth and development, and how we're going to teach guys through moments."

When Norvell mentions "moments," he's typically talking about bouts with adversity. When guys either lose a rep or lose their composure, and he quickly jumps in to help them regain their focus.

That typically is a work in progress. Whether it's correcting execution or effort, the process begins during those Tour of Duty workouts in January and February. That's when players learn how to be pushed to their limits.

Then things get ratcheted up with the start of spring practice, and again on the first day in full pads. When the newcomers are still trying to show they understand the playbook, while also grappling with new techniques and fundamentals.

Meanwhile, the coaches are pushing the tempo to raise stress levels. And other players are slamming into them at full speed.

It's a lot to digest.

"We try to create as much of that [stress] during Tour of Duty as possible, and I think we do a pretty good job of it," Norvell said. "But when you get physicality, there's a different sense of emotion that arises.

"I absolutely love the way our guys are responding. For 23 newcomers, even in the moments, the reception of coaching and the way that they're trying to apply it ... and I really believe that is because of our team."

That is where things could be different for the Seminoles in 2022.

During Norvell's first year on campus in 2020, players have said, they could tell the coaches were "walking on eggshells" at times, just trying to keep a fractured locker room together.

In Year Two, the coaches were able to raise the demands in practice a considerable amount. But now, entering Year Three, with a roster of players who are fully invested in the program, things are getting closer to the standard Norvell desires.

And the best part is the high expectations aren't only being demanded by him and his coaches. They're being enforced, and reinforced, by players in numerous position groups.

There's running back Treshaun Ward sprinting the length of the field and into the end zone -- not stopping when the whistle is blown -- after breaking off nice runs. There's quarterback Jordan Travis getting onto teammates when they make a mistake. There are veteran linemen like Dillan Gibbons on offense and Fabien Lovett on defense offering constructive criticism and pats on the back.

"When you have teammates that will coach you through it, it makes it so much better," Norvell said.

Thanks in part to that leadership, there were times Wednesday when things were humming at a really high level.

For large stretches, the defensive front and linebackers snuffed out running play after running play. Then later on, the offensive line created a few holes, and Ward was off to the races.

There was good back-and-forth between the receivers and defensive backs as well. Same for the tight ends and linebackers.

"I thought there were some explosive plays on both sides of the ball," Norvell said. "Pads were popping. That's a good thing."

"This is kind of the baseline," said Gibbons, who is going through his first spring at FSU after transferring from Notre Dame last summer. "From here, we have to take a step forward. ... Today was a good baseline. I was excited about the guys getting after it."

In the grand scheme of the 2022 season, this was just a baseline. The first day in full pads.

There are many months -- and countless workouts -- to take place between now and the season opener against Duquesne.

But not all baselines are created equal. And this baseline was demonstrably higher than the ones from last year and the year before that.

Contact managing editor Ira Schoffel at ira@warchant.com and follow @IraSchoffel on Twitter.

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