Over the last 10 days, Warchant.com has unveiled our list of the Five Greatest Recruiting Classes in Florida State football history. Toda,y we unveil the overall No. 1 class.
* First installment: Discussing the grading criteria, which classes just missed the cut
* Second Installment: Class No. 5 -- 1989: T-Buck, Charlie & Company
* Third installment: Class No. 4 -- 2011: The making of a champion
* Fourth installment: Class No. 3 -- 1997: Weinke, Janikowski and a lot more
* Fifth installment: Class No. 2 -- 1990: The foundation for the first national title
It's not enough to say that Florida State's 1993 recruiting class is the best in school history.
When you look at the names and the numbers, you'll see why it was an overwhelming choice for that honor. And why it also must be considered one of the best in college football history.
Including preferred walk-ons, the Florida State Class of 1993 featured 14 NFL draft picks, eight All-Americans, five first-round picks and five members of the Florida State Athletics Hall of Fame.
Warrick Dunn, of course, is the biggest name of them all. The Louisiana product became a fan favorite almost the second he arrived on campus. He was a quarterback in high school and the Florida State coaching staff recruited him as an "athlete," not knowing if they would use him at running back or cornerback when he got to college.
Head coach Bobby Bowden promised Dunn he would be allowed to at least start preseason practice as a running back, and if he didn't shine there, he could change positions and move to the defensive backfield.
Dunn never moved to the defensive backfield. He instead broke onto the scene as a true freshman tailback, leading the Seminoles in touchdowns in 1993 and playing an enormous role in the program's first national championship.
For a helpful reminder, here he is taking a pass from his freshman year roommate and silencing one of the loudest stadiums in the history of loud stadiums.
There are so many great things about this play, from the escape by Ward, to the block (hey, who can say if it was in the back or not?) by Tamarick Vanover, to the supersonic speed displayed by Dunn down the sidelines. But the coolest thing in my eyes has always been the little strut he does into the end zone.
That was one of Dunn's trademarks, actually. He was a quiet and reserved person. Always. But he wasn't shy about celebrating touchdowns -- and he scored a whole bunch of them during his time in Tallahassee.
That was Exhibit A of a Dunn touchdown celebration.
Exhibits B through Z are in the clip below. Pay special attention to the one at the 2:35 mark. That also happened to come against a rival in a hostile environment.
