Mike Norvell acknowledged he had plenty of options when it came to choosing which Florida State player would break the rock on Saturday evening. As the Seminoles make a transition from preseason camp to game week, FSU’s coach selected Trey Benson.
“He’s gone every day, his spirit, his mentality, his work ethic,” Norvell said. “He’s a great teammate and he’s somebody that has really embodied that. When you see the work and the numbers that he has put in and then also what I see and appreciate is just the impact on those around him. It could have gone to a lot of people. We’ve got plenty of guys that could have positioned themselves to break the rock, but Trey has been really good this fall camp.”
Benson finished up Saturday’s practice with the Seminoles gathered in a circle at midfield at Doak Campbell Stadium. After Norvell addressed the team, Benson was surprised to hear his name.
“It felt great,” Benson said. “It was unexpected. I was playing with my shoulder pads, I just heard my name being called. I was like, ‘Whoa, it’s me?’ That’s great. I’m blessed to be able to break the rock after fall camp. I’m just ready to go with the guys.”
The tradition of breaking the rock dates more than a decade to when Norvell and Josh Storms, FSU's strength and conditioning coach, were both at Arizona State. They brought it to Memphis and now FSU. An FSU player breaks the rock at the end of summer workouts, preseason camp and after wins.
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Benson ran for 990 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 6.4 yards per carry in 2022 following his transfer from Oregon. And Benson also made an impression on special teams, with a kick return for a touchdown against Boston College.
Norvell mentioned how Benson has worked but also his positivity. And Benson is almost always flashing a smile, praising teammates (including Treshaun Ward, who is now at Kansas State) and after prior practices has talked trash with his roommate, Jared Verse.
Benson said he has worked hard in the offseason to become more of a leader, a role he’s more comfortable in now in year 2 at FSU. He mentioned help from Lawrance Toafili, who helped him with signals, as well as Ward, “who taught me a lot of things.”
Why did Benson feel he earned the honor to break the rock?
“Just coming to work every day,” Benson said. “Even if we are having a bad day, I brought the energy in the running back room, in the whole offense. Being a confidence builder, my leadership, talking more. This year I was really working more on my leadership.”
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