Seminoles put a Taggart twist on community service projects
Willie Taggart is even making an imprint on the way Florida State’s football program performs community service.
While FSU players in all sports have long taken an active role in the community -- participating in events such as youth sports camps, mentoring at schools and even contributing hard labor with Habitat for Humanity projects -- a slight twist was evident when the Seminoles went out in the community on Saturday.
For starters, the players had assistant coaches participating with them.
Defensive tackles coach Odell Haggins and defensive ends coach Mark Snyder grabbed shovels and paint brushes and joined about 10 FSU players at a Habitat for Humanity project on the south side of Tallahassee.
Less than two miles away, offensive line coach Greg Frey joined forces with 10 more Seminole players and former FSU star Kez McCorvey in running a youth football camp at the Walker-Ford Community Center.
While Taggart was not available Saturday to explain the new approach, the Seminoles’ players said they liked seeing the coaching staff in a different setting -- especially since nine of the 10 assistants are in their first seasons with the program.
“We’re still developing bonds with the coaching staff,” junior tight end Gabe Nabers said. “Getting to see them outside the office, basically … everyone just gets to be loose and enjoy it.”
Another twist on Saturday was the addition of a “wise words” segment, which is something Taggart incorporates into practices and other events. In those sessions, the Seminoles' first-year head coach likes to have a player or someone else come up before the group and share a positive personal message.
So, on Saturday, Frey asked each FSU player who participated in the youth camp to share wise words with the children.
Senior defensive end Wally Aime was the first to speak, and his message about academics seemed to resonate with many of the youths. Aime explained that he didn’t take school work seriously enough when he was younger, which caused him to need to attend junior college before signing with Florida State.
After the Boynton Beach, Fla., product spoke, several campers asked questions about GPA requirements and whether they needed to take a foreign language to get into college.
Other players spoke about a variety of topics. Freshman linebacker DeCalon Brooks encouraged the kids to work hard in everything they do, while junior cornerback Levonta Taylor explained that being “coachable” has been one of the keys to his success.
Just a few minutes earlier, Taylor and Brooks were giving the campers tips on pass coverage.
“I just want to make sure when I come out here, I do the same thing that the people did for me when I went to camps,” Taylor said.
A few feet away from that station, Aime and freshman defensive tackle Ja’Len Parks were giving instructions on tackling and pursuit angles.
“I want them to look up to us, because when I was little, I had somebody to look up to,” Parks said.
While the players and Frey provided the youths with plenty of helpful football advice, that clearly wasn’t their only objective. They also wanted to share life lessons and show that high-profile athletes can reach out and show concern for others in the community.
“You get to see the side of guys you don’t usually get to see,” Nabers said. “A lot of times you feel like football players [are seen as] big, mean guys. We just all love the game. Getting to be out here in just a loose environment and having fun is awesome.”
Before McCorvey dismissed the group, Frey offered one parting thought and challenged the youths to take advantage of every opportunity they are presented with in life -- whether that’s a chance to improve in sports, academics or anything else.
“You’ve got to make the most of your opportunities,” said Frey, who played at FSU with McCorvey in the early 1990s. “Your opportunity is there. … These guys right here cared enough to come out. So take the opportunity and realize, ‘Hey, everything is attainable if you’re willing to go after it and listen and be coachable and stay on track.'”
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