Seminoles excited to see winter gains translate to success in spring, fall
They can see it in the physical transformations. In the bodies of guys like linebacker Amari Gainer, who has bulked up this winter from about 215 pounds to 232.
They can see it on the players' faces when they arrive for 6 a.m. workouts. The way they attack the day instead of needing to be be pushed and prodded.
And they can see it in the encouragement that comes from teammates when a player tries to set a new personal best in the weight room. The cheers that wash over the room after another successful lift.
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When the Florida State football team opens spring practice on Tuesday, head coach Mike Norvell and his staff will really get a feel for what the 2021 Seminoles will look like. But after two months of winter workouts, they clearly sound confident about the direction of the program.
"The biggest difference [from] 365 days ago is how these guys approach the work every day," said Josh Storms, FSU's director of strength and conditioning. "Being a year into it, they have a better idea of what to expect every day. So now they know when they come in, they're going to expect to be challenged. They're going to expect it to be hard. But they're also going to have the confidence now to know that we're never putting something in front of them that we don't, as coaches, believe that they can achieve.
"And so as guys start to understand how the program is built that way, guys come in with a little more excitement, a little more confidence, a little more juice, bouncing in the room ready to approach the day's work."
Judging by the weight changes listed on FSU's spring roster, which was released on Friday, there have been a number of significant improvements.
Not surprisingly, many of the biggest transformations have come from the youngest players, who were going through their first winter strength and conditioning program.
Redshirt freshman Thomas Shrader, who is expected to compete for a starting job on the offensive line, checks in at 303 pounds after being listed at 283 last fall. Redshirt freshman defensive end Josh Griffis has gone from 245 to 254, redshirt freshman defensive back Sidney Williams has gone from 198 to 208, and there are numerous similar examples.
But even the older players are making changes. Veteran offensive linemen Brady Scott and Baveon Johnson have both packed on at least 10 pounds this offseason, while offensive tackle Darius Washington has dropped 10.
* On the Tribal Council: See list of significant weight changes this spring.
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