It's a message Florida State's football players weren't exactly used to hearing.
Last year, the Seminoles' special teams were handled on a part-time basis by the team's outside linebackers coach (who was part of a four-person defensive staff, when virtually every other staff in the country had five).
The year before, they were led by an assistant coach who had only worked with special teams for one year in his career, and who would end up getting fired after his one season in Tallahassee.
Today, FSU's players have a head coach who not only thinks special teams are important, but he thinks it's the best way to gauge an entire program.
Talk about a complete 180.
Don't miss out on any of our great Football coverage. Get your 30-day FREE trial
"Special teams is treated here like offense or defense," said senior safety Cyrus Fagan, who blocked a field goal in the team's last preseason scrimmage. "It's very emphasized here. And it's an amazing key to be a successful football team -- doing the right things on special teams. Because some people might take it as a joke, some people might play around, but that's where you get that edge. And that's where you've got to be at your best."
Being the best in that area is something head coach Mike Norvell takes very seriously.
Typically, through the course of a preseason camp, fans might hear a college football head coach talk about getting "good work" on special teams once or twice a week.
Norvell has mentioned special teams virtually daily during his after-practice Zoom sessions with the media. On Friday, he said that was the main focus of the entire practice.
Based on recent seasons, Florida State could use the added attention.
Since 2016, Florida State's average finish in the FEI index for special teams performance has been 65th in the nation. Memphis' average over that same span was 16th, including having the No. 1-ranked special teams in the country in 2016 and the No. 4 unit in 2019.
Memphis ranked in the top 15 in three of the four years Norvell was at the helm. Florida State never finished higher than 45th during that span, and the Seminoles were 87th in the country a season ago.
