After delivering an impressive performance during a shortened season in the XFL, former Florida State running back Jacques Patrick recently signed a three-year contract with the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals.
Patrick, who ranks among the top 20 all-time running backs in FSU history for rushing yards (1,790) and rushing touchdowns (17), spoke with Warchant on Thursday about his journey to Florida State, his years with the Seminoles, the disappointment of going undrafted in 2019 and then now getting the opportunity to live his NFL dream.
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Here are some of the highlights from Patrick's conversation with Warchant:
Looking back at his decision to sign with FSU over Alabama
"My final two were Alabama and Florida State. When it came down to schools, every time I went to Florida State, every time I visited ... I was always reassured that was the school I wanted to be at. I didn't get that feeling anywhere else. I was comfortable with the staff. They were there for my first three years -- learned a lot from them. At the end of the day, if I had to make the decision over again, I would have [made] the same decision."
Getting to play with former FSU WR Auden Tate in Cincinnati
"That's my guy. We lived together in college. ... It's cool to be up in Cincinnati with Tate. He's an emerging player for that team. And I'm just trying to come up there and do my part and do what I know I can do, to help the team win games."
His relationship with former backfield mate Cam Akers
"Cam, that's my little brother. I always tell him, 'If you ever need me for anything, I'm one call away.' That's just what it is. When he came in, there was never any animosity. A lot of people tried to pin it as that, because they said he was coming in, battling and taking carries from me. But I never saw it that way. I knew I was good enough to play, and I knew he was good enough to play. If it took both of us to get carries each game to help us win the game, I was fine with that. And he was fine with that. His family supported me. I was just on Instagram Live with him the other day, and his mom was on there. She's always supported me, always giving me encouraging words. I can always respect that, and I'm super excited for him to get drafted this weekend. Because he deserves it. I seen him come in day one and work hard and just continue to get better each and every year. That's all you can ask from a guy. He embraces what it means to be a true Seminole. That guy works hard, he is very talented, and whatever team gets him is going to be lucky. Because he's going to come and go to work."
The disappointment of going undrafted last year
"That was one of the toughest times of my life. Just going through a lot of uncertainty, not knowing what was going to happen next. I just had to believe in walking by faith and not by sight. I just trained, trained, trained and hoped an opportunity came through the NFL."
Getting to sign with the Bengals
"It was crazy. ... That's when reality really sets in. When you sign that paper. That makes it official. Obviously, when you put the helmet and stuff on and all that. But when you make it official, when you sign that paper, that was like a dream come true. I had all my family there ... social distancing, we were following those rules. But to have my family there, and oh man, we enjoyed that moment. Because they know more than anybody how hard I've worked for this, and how strong I've been in my faith during these times. It was just a beautiful moment to share with my family."
Make sure to watch the video above for the complete interview, including more of his reflections on his time at Florida State, his role with the Cincinnati Bengals, what he expects from the Mike Norvell era at FSU and more.
Follow Jacques Patrick on Twitter and Instagram.
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