The Florida Football Insiders podcast is part of the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast
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Enjoy the podcast a look at college football news, analysis and insight from
around the Sunshine State. This is Florida Football Insiders, a part of the
College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast network, and here's your host, Jason Powers.
All Right, fans, welcome in week eleven of the Florida Football Insiders
podcast. We are part of the College Gridiron Coast to Coast Podcast network feed.
Appreciate you finding us hard to believe, but we are into the month
of November. It is getting to the nuts and bolts, nitty gritty clutch
moments, whatever you want to call it. Time in the football schedule,
and here in the state of Florida, we have a state showdown here in
Tallahassee on Saturday, as the Miami Hurricanes come to visit Florida State. Florida
State remains undefeated nine to zero, the Canes coming in at six and three.
We're gonna talk about that game. We're gonna talk about Florida USF FAU
A little Central Florida and hit them all this week as we get to the
home stretch of the regular season and where the championship berths, bowl berths,
bowl eligibility, and all of sudch we'll be decided to hear in the next
three weeks as the regular season will wrap up Thanksgiving weekend and we will roll
into conference Championship week where the Florida State Seminoles have already clinched their birth in
the ACC title game. And we have a special guest this week for you,
fantastic guest nineteen ninety three Heisman Trophy winner, National Champion, College Football
Hall of Famer two thousand and six class a pure legend in the state of
Florida in college football, whether you're my age or right around the age of
fifty, which I had the pleasure of getting to play with this gentleman in
college, or if you're a little bit older than me, even if you're
a little younger than me, won Charlie Ward, quarterback, Florida State,
nineteen ninety three National Champion, Heisman Trophy winner, first round draft pick of
the New York Knicks, had a long, storied career in the NBA.
Excuse me hard to believe Charlie Ward not drafted coming out of Florida State in
nineteen ninety four with as much spread offense and shotgun as we see nowadays,
back in nineteen ninety four, Charlie Ward, not even drafted coming out of
Florida State, ended up going to play with the first dround pick for the
New York Knicks. You will really thoroughly enjoy our conversation with Charlie. We
had a We had a wide range of topics from n I L to UH
playing for coach Bowden, to playing for the Knicks, to the rivalry with
Florida State, Miami, Florida State, Florida, the you know, just
all the things that went into Charlie's career. So I think you will thoroughly
enjoy my chat with Charlie Ward, Heisman Trophy winner here in just a few
minutes. So again, if you haven't already done so, hit that subscribe
button on your podcast platform. Love to hear from you, Love to hear
some comments at on Twitter or x at jp O sports is my Twitter handle.
Love to hear from you, Uh, definitely if you can reach.
If you see the podcast, forward it to your college football friends, retweet
my tweet. If you if you, if you're part of the UH,
if you're on if you're following me on Twitter, love to get the word
out again. Charlie was fantastic in our interview. We're gonna we're gonna hit
a bunch of different topics with Charlie here just a few minutes. All right,
let's do a little recap of last week in a little preview of this
coming up week in the state of Florida. Obviously, the headline matchup is
Florida State Miami in Tallahassee on Saturday three thirty. Florida State goes to nine
to zero by beating Pittsburgh on the road twenty four to seven. Kind of
a hoe hum efforts, professional effort, good job by them. Struggled a
little bit early but then turned it on missing there. Johnny Wilson and Keon
Coleman did not play. Travis Jeordan Travis goes twenty two to thirty six three
sixty at a touchdown. Trey Benson twelve carries ninety seven yards in a touchdown,
and Jacai Douglas steps up at wide receiver six catches for one point fifteen.
The defense was a major factor here as well, committing converting three turnovers
and holding Pittsburgh to ove eleven on third down conversion. So nice job by
the Florida State defense to hang in there while the offense took a little time
to get cooking. But the Seminoles continue to progress. Nine to zero.
I imagine here in the college football playoff rankings which will come out on Tuesday,
which come out Tuesday night, I would imagine Florida State will stay where
they're at at number four. I don't anticipate them dropping out nobody in the
top six loss, so I would imagine they will probably stay where they're at.
And again you got Florida State, North Alabama and then at Florida to
finish up the regular season for the Seminoles. Again, Miami coming to town
this weekend, so again professional effort, good job there. And again,
if you're Florida State, just keep on winning because the ACC continues to lose
games. So you're probably gonna play Louisville or Georgia Tech in the title game.
That game's probably not gonna help you much, maybe Louisville a little bit.
If Louisville keeps winning, that's who they really need. They need Louisville.
But again, to me, of Florida State just runs the table.
They're going to be in the playoff. They cannot lose a game because if
they lose a game, they're out. I think they're not gonna make it
if they lose a game. But Florida State's just got to keep on winning
games. So hopefully we'll see I, Johnny Wilson, and Keon Coleman will
be back for the Miami game. Again, storied rivalry State of Florida.
We're gonna talk to Charlie about the rivalry a little bit in our conversation as
well, but again this will not be a classic rivalry because Miami is not
highly ranked. But again, always when you're dealing with the State of Florida,
Florida State Miami, with all the kids that have played together in high
school, grew up around each other in different parts of the state. You
will see plenty of passion and plenty of competitiveness in Tallahassee on Saturday, and
Miami is still a dangerous team. Speaking of the Hurricanes, they fall to
six and three. They lose at NC State twenty to six, a very
disappointing effort out of Miami with Vandyke played very poorly, three interceptions, four
turnovers for the Hurricanes on the game. Bright spot was Mark Fletcher twenty three
carries one hundred and fifteen yards, but just a disastrous You can't you can't
score six points at North Carolina State. I'm sorry, I don't know what's
going on with Vandyke. If he's just maybe we've overrated him a little bit,
has not played well since coming back from his injury. But three more
interceptions. The Miami offense just cannot get cannot get anything consistently going on offense.
They've really struggled labored on offense the last couple of years. Again,
is that a Van Dijke issue? Is that an offensive coordinator system issue?
We don't know. But Miami falls to six and three, a bad loss
for Mario Christobal as well. So not a good performance in Raleigh against a
down NC State team. So Miami will head to Florida State at six and
three. They're two and three in the league. They will not be in
the title game unless there is an absolute abject collapse by the teams above them.
But again, it very you know, just a down year for Mario
and all kind of turned on the Georgia Tech game. Remember when he botched
the clock there at the end of the game. Speaking of Batch batching the
clock, just continuous more clock failures, More in game coaching decision failures.
Kansas State, what do you do with going for going for the win?
You're down three and overtime to Texas. It's fourth and goal from the four,
kick the field goal and go to the next overtime. If it was
fourth and goal from the one, I could live with it, maybe the
two. But when you got to gain four yards, you're on the road
and you've made a huge comeback in Austin. To get the game tied,
you have to kick the field goal and go to another overtime there. If
you're Kansas that you get the ball in the second overtime to put the pressure
back on Texas if you score a touchdown. Lousy, lousy decision by Chris
Kleiman and the Kansas State staff there to go for the win fourth and four.
You were the better team the last two to two and a half quarters
of that game. Extend the game. Don't don't be stupid and don't make
stupid that was just a very poor judgment call to go go for the win
there you're pretty much from four yards out. You can't run the ball,
you have to throw the ball. I just I don't like that decision in
a game that if Kansas State wins that game, they got a great chance
to go to the back to the Big twelve title game. So bad job
by Chris Climbing. Kansas State loses by three points in Austin, Texas.
All right, next game, let's hit the Florida game again. Another another
bad loss, not a good loss for Billy Napier. They lose to Arkansas
in the Swamp thirty nine thirty six in overtime, first time Arkansas's ever won
in the Swamp since they've joined the SEC. Eugene Wilson eight catches for ninety
yards and two touchdowns. He's the Tampa product. The wide receiver Graham Merch
through for two to eighty two and three touchdowns. He did okay. The
defense gives up four hundred and eighty one yards to Arkansas. Remember, Arkansas
fired their offensive coordinator a couple of weeks ago, so it was the first
game post by that they had a new offensive coordinator. Special teams was not
great in this game for Florida as well, a botched extra point which obviously
turned out to be a huge play in the game, which would have prevented
overtime. And then Tray Smackmans is like, I think a forty three yard
field goal Layton regulation that could have won the game. Smack's done a great
job kicking for them, but missed from forty four yards late, and then
Florida loses in overtime giving up a touchdown again. kJ Jefferson played really well,
Rocket Sanders was really good over one hundred yards rushing. Just not a
good loss there for the Gators. You can't give up thirty nine points to
Arkansas, I'm sorry, Florida drops to five and four. They now have
to go to LSU, who's coming off their loss to Alabama. There's a
there's a real chance Florida doesn't win another game this year at LSU home to
Missouri at I'm sorry, at Missouri Florida State at home. A very real
chance that Florida ends up five and seven, not Bowl eligible, and that
would be a major problem potentially for Billy Napier. It'd be very and you
can see what happens these next three weeks in Gainesville. We've not heard much
out of the administration. Obviously Napier is doing a from all indications, doing
a good job on the recruiting trail. But you can't go five and seven.
You can't lose to Arkansas. You got blown out by Georgia. They
better not get blown out at LSU, and better not get blown out.
They better be competitive these next three weeks because if they're not, if they're
uncompetitive the next three weeks, it would not shock me if you saw a
change with Billy Napier. I don't like to say that. Don't not rooting
for that. But again, you cannot continue to you know, with that
fan base. They've got plenty of resources in Gainesville. They could they could
afford to make a change if they want to do that. There'll be some
coach guys out there that will be of interest to people, but be very
interesting next three weeks in Gainesville for Billy Napier in that coaching staff, in
that program. So Gators fall to five and four, they go again,
they go to LSU Saturday night in Death Valley. That will be a very
challenging effort as well. With Jalen, Jayden Daniels and companies. So there's
the Gators side of things. For USF, they fall to Memphis fifty nine
to fifty in a shootout up in Memphis. My boy TJ. Reeves is
happy about that is Memphis Tigers get it done in a scorathon. USF falls
to four and five. They host Temple this week. Byron Brown was the
star for USF thirty one to thirty nine for three fifty seven and five touchdowns
in through the air, and then he ran twenty three more times, which
I don't understand why he's running twenty three times, but twenty three carries for
one hundred yards for Byron Brown, four hundred and fifty seven yards of total
offense for Byron Shawn Atkins, eight catches for eighty nine and a touchdown.
Obviously, defensively was where the disaster was here for USF. Gave up four
hundred and forty one yards passing in five hundred and eighty yards total offense to
the Tigers. Memphis is a good team, but you can't give up five
hundred and eighty yards of total offense. Again. I understand they're under manned.
Its year one again, be interesting to see kind of again, all
the defense, the defensive deficiencies. Recruiting will obviously still need to be focused
on the defensive sides. Much easier to recruit offense and find offensive production.
It's much more difficult to find defensive production, especially in the trenches, the
defensive lines, the secondary. But just a not a good effort by the
USF defense. They've been kind of going that direction the last couple of weeks.
They the USF still has an opportunity to get Bowl eligible. You're gonna
host Temple and then the last game, the sixth potential game they play.
I'd have to I don't have it right in front of me, but they
have a very Charlotte I think they play Charlotte at the end of the year.
So if you could beat Temple, who had a nice win over the
weekend, you have a really good chance to get Bowl eligible against Charlotte,
and that'd be that'd be a major accomplishment for this program year one under Alex
Scholish. But again, too many, too many yards, too many points
on defense, and that will obviously be a focus of the staff here as
we get into recruiting, and potentially I don't know if there will be any
coaching changes schematic changes in the next year. But offensively, you got a
quarterback Byron Brown. The question for USF can you keep Byron Brown? Will
a team come from another league, a Power five league, ni L money
an offer? Can you keep Byron Brown? That is the number one question
Alex Golish has to answer the next three weeks to a month. Can you
keep him? And that's going to require some dollars. So again, uh,
that's the world we live, the landscape that we live in now with
the transfer portal, with opportunity, can you financially re recruit your guys to
stay? That is as much a part of the recruiting process as getting new
players is keeping your elite players from leaving. And Byron Brown is showing to
be that he is an upper level Power five player that he can play at
a lot of different places. Can USF keep Byron Brown? And that's going
to require some dollars from the USF collective. So we'll be interesting to see
how that unfolds here in the in the next next four to six weeks to
you know, between now and the end of the year, we very can
see how that works. UCF. They get a nice win on the road
at Cincinnati twenty eight, twenty six. USFUS desperately needed to win their first
ever big twelve win. Our j Harvey twenty carries one to sixty five and
three touchdowns. The defense causes creates two turnovers. Now again a nice job,
nice bounce back by Gus Malzon. They get to four and five.
They still have an opportunity to get Bowl eligible. They will now host Oklahoma
State, who came off their huge winner in Bedlam against Oklahoma. They will
host oak State in Orlando on Saturday, So be interesting to see how that
that game unfold. But again a big win for Gus Malzon. You had
to get that win at Cincinnati, who's down this year. Again plumb Lee
Harvey good, good running attack. Be interesting game against Oklahoma State, who
bring in the nations leading rusher Oli Gordon. So we'll see how the game
unfolded. Again, uss UCF's been in a lot of these games. Remember
they blew the game against Baylor, they were in the game against Oklahoma.
They you know they've they've blown some games late. But again, nice win
on the road at Cincinnati twenty eight, twenty six, all right FIU bye
week this week, they were coming off of by four and five. They
head to Middle Tennessee. That will be a matchup for them. We will
see how FIU to see if they can potentially get to five and five and
it remain Bowl eligible. Possibly, but again another conference game from Mike McIntyre
and the Panthers coming off the by head to Middle Tennessee on Saturday, and
we finally wrap it up with FAU. They go up to UAB, my
alma mater, and lose a shootout forty five forty two. They have a
nice effort rush for two hundred and thirty two yards. Lejohonte Western, the
all conference and potentially All American wide receiver eleven catches two nineteen and three touchdowns.
The defense Lousey gives up four hundred and ninety nine yards passing the Owls
drop to four and five. They are home to East Carolina next week.
That's definitely a winnable game, but a disappointing game there for Tom Herman in
a game against Trent Dolpher and a shootout up in Birmingham at Progressive again and
again still have an opportunity to get Bowl eligible, which would be a nice
job, would be a nice job by Tom Herman in year one. But
the Panthers falled. Sorry, the Owls fall to four and five, lose
to UA B forty five, forty two. Hopefully they got a little barbecue
on the way up there in Birmingham to my UAB Blazers get it done against
the Owls. So there's your state recap, your previews of this coming up
week again, Charlie Ward coming up here in just a minute, nineteen ninety
three Heisman Trophy winner. Can you believe it's been thirty years since Charlie Ward
won the Heisman? Jeez, I am getting old. But again, it
was fortunate enough to get to play with Charlie at Florida State for a year,
and again he's an awesome guy doing a lot of great stuff. He's
coaching now, So we talk a little bit about his coaching background and some
of the influence. We talk about coach Bowden, We talk about the Knicks,
We talked about Florida State, Florida State, Miami, all that,
all the all the highlights of Charlie's career is decision about not playing in the
NFL back after he went undrafted. He had an opportunity, he chose not
to. So you will enjoy our chat with Charlie Ward again, appreciate you
finding us. If you're looking for a ticket to the Florida State Miami game,
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fondness. Florida Football Insiders Podcast thanks to Steve Carney for all his hard work.
TJ Reeves and enjoy my conversation with Charlie Ward nineteen ninety three Heisman Trophy
National champion Florida State University. Now we're from Titan Home Lending. Are you
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zero five seven nine zero one four zero four. All right, Welcome into
a special simulcast edition of the Powers On Sports and Florida Football Insiders podcast.
We are so honored to bring you the nineteen ninety three Heisman Trophy winner,
National Champion, two thousand and six College Football Hall of Famer, and a
guy that everybody knows the world can and hard to believe. It is his
thirtieth anniversary of winning the Heisman Trophy this year, mister Charlie war We really
appreciate you joining us. Charlie, I appreciate you having me Jason on the
Power's Own Sports, appreciate you being here. We really, we really are
thrilled to have you. And Charlie was a teammate of mine back in the
day. I was I was a nobody on the Florida State team back then.
But Charlie was such an awesome teammate and just a great, great guy
to be around, and all that good stuff. I want I want to
ask you First, can you believe it's been thirty years since You're gonna be
the thirtieth anniversary if you win in the Heisman Trophy. Can you believe it's
been that long of time that's gone by? No, I mean not really.
I mean once I start adding up those years, though, it comes
pretty quickly thirty so, but I'm grateful that I get an opportunity to be
here to see it and part of it. Thirty years, I've been able
to look back over the career and see all the many opportunities and blessings were
afforded through the people that I came in contact with, and also the experiences
that I had over those years have been very memorable. Yeah, I would
imagine this year there will probably be some and you can explain. I would
imagine the Heisman Trophy Committee here with you in about a month will be presenting
their Heisman Trophy, will probably be honoring you to some level and reminiscing of
the thirty years. What is one of the tell the audience forget about the
monetary stuff or whatever that might may or may not be. What's the coolest
perk from being a Heisman Trophy winner? What's a perk that maybe the average
fan would have no idea. That's just a really cool perk of being a
Heisman Trophy winner. Well, I mean, you get an opportunity to be
around all the Hosman winners, especially Dour on the Hosman Weekend. And you
know it's you know, you're international, your name is international in a lot
of ways. A lot of people know what the Heisman Trophy is. Uh,
And you know that's you know, you're generational because you know, you
go into elementary school. Kids may not know who you are from you know
their perspective, they know the guys is here today. But when you mentioned
that your Heisman Trophy winner, you know they immediately you know, go to
knowing who what the Heisman Trophy is. Right, So it's uh, you
know, it's a it's a good deal to be able to have uh been
a part of the Hosman family. It gives you opportunities to be able to
help others for sure. Very cool. All right, I want to get
I want to get a thought or two on Coach Bowd. Obviously he's passed
in the last couple of years. Just give me a thought or two on
Coach Bowden and obviously. You know, we know what kind of great football
coach he was and the great things he did for the university. Talk about
what he did for you, some of the opportunities, maybe the belief he
had in you. I mean, people don't some people may not know your
story. You didn't really get to play until your junior year. Very different
than today's world of college football. You kind of had to sit behind the
pipeline of quarterbacks that came through FSU. Uh back in those days. Talk
about what the thought what coach Bowden meant to you, just more maybe more
off the field than it was on the field. Well, just the way
he lived his life. I mean he was a you know, faith's family
in football was his three main goals, right and uh, he lived him
you know, that was more of an example than anything else. You know,
he lived whatever he spoke. And of course he's not perfect like none
of us, but he was just a genuine guy. He cared for his
players, and you know, I was grateful that I had opportunity to play
for him for five years, and of course after that you have a lifelong
bond with him, and he was very instrumental in helping me, you know,
navigate my way once I got into the head court. I'm a head
coaching ranks of high school football, and so that was very encouraging and uplifting
to be able to reach out to him and him giving me some words of
encouragement or wisdom on you know, being a leader at that in that that
area. And you know, like I said, it wasn't just me,
It was a lot. I mean, all the guys that he coached.
Sure, sure, he has a genuine heart for you know, the kids
that he coached, and you know it was stem from his love for Jesus
Christ. Talk about how and also you had the great thrill to play for
your dad in high school too. Obviously don't know Charlie went to school at
Thomas Central High School in Thomasville, Georgia, which is thirty thirtieth minutes or
so and away from Tallahassee, so very close to where he grew up.
Talk about playing for your dad in high school and just that how and then
that transition obviously going to play for coach Bounden. Just the fun part of
playing for your dad in high school. Well, getting an opportunity to play
for him, of course, I mean I watched him as a young kid
growing up, I went to practices, went to games, so I was
in the environment that he was in and just his genuine love for his student
athletes as well taking them home, you know, being a father figure for
those that weren't fathers and also those that had fathers. You know, he
was a village dad, and so it was just encouraging to be able to
see it, you know, from that perspective. But also you know,
see the work ethic, the discipline that he had at home, you know,
coming home and you know, grading papers right he had After practice,
we spent our time mainly watching sports. That was our way of bonding.
So he was just a great inspiration. And then getting a chance to play
for him. You know, he taught me a lot about, you know,
being mentally tough. You know, he put me in environments that I
had to you know, learn from at an early age. Of course,
sometimes we don't like being in those environments. We like being comfortable, but
he put me in situations that I was uncomfortable and so I had to learn
how to take criticism and be able to you know, come back from it.
But that was just a great encouragement to me moving forward. Because it
carried over, you know, to you know, all of my days,
especially at Florida State, getting not getting a chance to play quarterback at least
for three years. But you know, he gave an opportunity, to give
an opportunity to learn how to play play in multiple sports. He was my
basketball coach and football. He wasn't a particular coach, but specific coach,
a position coach, I should say, but so, but he was always
there. How beneficial was it when you being that you lived close enough to
home, especially maybe during your first couple of years at Florida State and even
during your junior year, which again people don't remember a lot of people don't
remember your first year starting You had some struggles early in the year there before
before you really started getting cooking u during that Georgia Tech game, And so
how how how nice was it to know that if you needed to drive home
on a Tuesday night and have dinner with the family or go see somebody from
high school that could help you out when you don't during those times of struggle,
that you were close enough to be able to do that, where a
lot of kids maybe couldn't do that because of the trivel restrictions. Well,
that was one of the reasons I wanted to stay closer to home, was
because it gave offer that type of support. And there's a school that was
thriving and a very good school that afford to maate that opportunity. So that
was one of the factors of me going to Florida State, was to be
able to uh still a living closer to home. And you know, if
I needed to run up to Thomasville to see mom and dad or someone or
vice versa, you know, they can come down and I watched it or
pop in here and there. You know, that was part of the plan.
So I was grateful that I had that opportunity. All right, let's
get to let's get to kind of your your junction in the world that we
that we live in now of n I l and decisions and all that good.
By the way, how much would Charlie how much would Charlie Ward have
been worth today in nineteen in twenty and twenty three, if nil would have
been around, Charlie Ward would have been worth a lot of coin at Florida
State University of his senior year, that's for sure. Huh uh, yes,
I mean we'd been able to, you know, take care of a
lot of people. Parents probably wouldn't have had to use their credit card to
travel to the games, but you know, it all worked out for us,
but definitely would have enjoyed NIL. Are you a fan of kind of
the whole NIL system of kind of how everything's evolved, or do you think
there are to be some limitations on what you know, a little bit of
more. I would say limitations, but a little more regulation of kind of
what's being allowed and maybe what is it being allowed. Well, I'm not
sure about the regulations as far as you know, I think there should have
been some guidelines early on, especially when it came to recruiting, right you
know, of course everyone has to talk about NIL and now everyone has a
collective at their school. But I think it was you know, very beneficial
because those that are making you know, a big big chunk of the change
are normally you're more visible H players, whether it's on social media or you
know, on the field. But I think it just opened up the opportunity
for others, for all student athletes to be able to use their name,
image and likeness H in other spaces. You know, when it comes to
paid interns, internships, uh, and types of things are very very important
or paid advertisements whatever that may be, how very small it may be,
but it's an opportunity for them to earn something outside of what they were getting,
you know, with the university. So I just think it was,
you know, something that needed to be done. I mean, taking it
to the next level of making them an employee and all of that. I'm
not sure about that part, right, but I think the NIL space is
a good space for the student athletes to be able to, you know,
have that buffer where you know, it's not like having a you know,
on your being on your own, you do have that buffer of college and
the support that you need doing that time to be able to help you navigate
your way and learn, you know, while you're still growing immature as an
adult young adult as we call it. I could have seen Charlie Ward on
the on the Bills bookstore signing and gut Thrie's Chicken back in the day doing
some NIL stuff for sure, with some of that was happening anyway, Yeah,
I just didn't have the rights to be able to capitalize on it,
correct, right, I totally understand. All right, let's take you the
draft day nineteen ninety four in the NFL draft. Obviously, you know,
Heisman Trophy winner, and there was obviously the thoughts of the mobile quarterback in
the spread offense and all that was nowhere near what it is today back in
the early nineties NFL style. I know, obviously you were disappointed that you
didn't get drafted. Had things been pretty much equal, had you been a
first or second round draft pick in the NFL, and obviously we knew you
were a first round pick in the NBA, would your decision have been any
different. Would you have gone to the NFL and given that a run before
you went to the NBA, or or were you content on going to the
NBA all along. No, I had options, and I use those options.
You know. I continue to play basketball my senior year in college,
which was part of the plan of keeping my options open, right, And
that kind of threw me out of the run as far as being one sent
committed to the NFL process, because I didn't. I stopped playing basketball my
senior year, but I was a senior point guard on that team, and
I felt like my leadership as a senior guard was needed and I wanted to
do it. So I did it, and you know, I didn't wasn't
making a business decision. I was just following my heart and God, you
know, allowed me to have options, and so I was grateful for that.
But you know, I did some of the things to get drafted,
but I knew going in that I would be a third or fourth round pick
regardless of what I did. It was just that was just the times,
and I understood that, and so I made the statement that if I didn't
drafted in the first round the NFL Draft, then you know, I would
consider other options. And so that meant that no one felt like I was
worth the first first round pick. So I didn't get drafted, even though
the cancer the chief call in the fifth round to ask if I got drafted.
At that point, you know what, I come to camp and I
told them I couldn't guarantee them that I would because if I got drafted in
the first round in the NBA draft, then you know I was going to
go to the NBA. So it's still it's still stunning to me that a
team even back in the in that time and when the value of what you
what you were able to do on the field was not appreciated that a team
did not spend a third or fourth round pick even if they held your rights
for a year and you didn't play for a year. It's stunning to me
that a team didn't do that and have a little bit more foresight with as
many smart guys that there are in the NFL, to not somebody to say,
hey, I'm gonna I'm gonna use a you know, third or fourth
round pick even if he doesn't play for me for a year, just to
see if he would play a year later. That to me, that just
is stunning that that that never happened. Well, I mean, I I
think once it got to a certain point, no one's going to take that
risk at that juncture, third or fourth round. But and I got jopted
in baseball twice right with with that similar mind frame. But I mean I
understood it. It was no big for me. Let's go back to your
basketball days. Obviously, you know you made the comments that you wanted to
stay and play your senior year basketball because of your leadership and your skills.
Talk about the joy that you that that brought came to you. Rising Yet
the FSU basketball program to the level that you brought it to when you finish
it up. Obviously you got we were new to the ACC. Football had
been well established for several years that they were dominant, but basketball always been
good, not great. But boy, you Sam Cassel, Doug Edwards,
Bob Surah, all those guys came together your last couple of years there and
had had just tremendous runs under Coach Kennedy. And I remember being in the
in the in the in the civic center of the night you guys beat North
Carolina the first time when Byron Wells hit the jump shot in the corner to
beat North Carolina. Just talk about your joy of elevating the basketball program as
well to such elite levels when you were there. Wow, man, I
was one of the whole and you know, we all had to carry our
own weight in a lot of ways in order for us to be able to
elevate the program once we got into the A c C. Because we knew
the competition would be different, yeah, than Metro Conference. But the talent
was you know, I thought in the Metro Conference when you started looking at
all the guys that came out of the Metro Conference during that time, were
some NBA. Oh yeah, Well, Louisville, those kind of yeah,
all those yeah, great teams. Quite a few NBA quality players that came
from the Metro Conference that I know I competed against and in college and professionally
so, but we had to you know, continue to improve. You know
when you started talking about Bob Sir and Doug Edwards, Doug was there,
you know through out, Rodney Dough Bart was there right throughout. But we
brought in Sam Kussell and UH and Bob Sir right throughout the process of us
building it. And of course all of us were first round picks, which
is crazy. We had four guys that were first round picks that on that
that was on a team, right, But you know, it's it was
just like anything else. You know, you have to acquire talent, You
have to acquire good chemistry, guys that buy in to what you're trying to
get accomplished. And we were afforded that, you know, with some very
good players, UH and then players that play. All of us played our
role right best of our ability, and so we were able to have some
success. Yeah, you guys were the perfect mixture. You were the kind
of the ball distributor. Sam was the score Bob was a score you had,
Doug Edwards a good low post player. Andre Reid was kind of a
center you had. You know, you had some role players off the bench.
You guys are just the perfect mesh of different skill sets and teamwork and
chemistry and coach Kennedy obviously put it all together and you guys had such a
great You guys have two tremendous runs there your junior and senior year for sure.
All right, let's talk a little bit. Let's go back to the
kind of the the the onset of the fast break offense. Obviously your junior
year, things are going going up and down. You guys are winning,
but they're having some You guys are having some good success on offense. All
of a sudden in the Georgia Tech game, you're behind late. You decide
we're gonna go up tempo, we're gonna go fast break, we're gonna go
shotgun. Talk about the ad the start of that and after you had success
in that Georgia Tech game, at what point did I mean was that early
next that following week that everybody came to the decision, Hey, this is
the way we're gonna play it from now on. Or how did that conversation
go between you and the coaching staff. Well, we I mean that was
our two minute offense that we were running, and we were behind quite a
bit of quite a bit uh in that fourth quarter, so we needed to
push the pace a little bit more. And believe or not, we only
ran like three paid plays. Uh, So it wasn't a lot of plays
that were being called right Uh, just running a couple of plays here and
there, and the others were you know, make a play in a sense.
Uh. And then we were able to you know, force you to
get the offside kid after we scored a couple of times, or and to
get the ball back. U defense all year where they were keeping us in
games because you know, even during that game, I had like three interceptions.
So it was a tough, tough uh tough goal put us in that
bad situation. But I was grateful that I was able to help you bring
us out in a sense quarterback. Uh. Then turn the football over that
fourth quarter. But you know, the next week we came back and you
know, they made a decision that we were going to play that way.
We added some some more plays and during the course of the week and it
progressed over the rest of the year to where we went no huddle, and
it did a lot for you know, the defense, meaning it dictated what
they were going to have to run no heartation, and it helped not just
myself but all of us, you know, be able to see it.
And if teams were going to disguise you know, what they were trying to
do, then they were going to have to do a little bit quicker and
we could also recognize what they were doing. So it just gave us a
little bit better advantage, and we continued to do it throughout the rest of
the year. And it was relatively new on the scene, so a lot
of teams hadn't done to no huddle. Most times people huddle up during that
time, but it was something that give us an advantage and we take advantage
of it. Now. A lot of people say, well, you were
better the second part of the year in the shotgun. Well that might been
true, but I also had a lot of experience going into the second half
of the year because my first first four or five games were really i mean,
my first year was the first year that I actually played you know,
some live competition in the game. In three years three years really since you've
played really right or a quarterback the counter one year, but just live competition
where you have to read defenses and do the plan. You know, I
prepare for all those things, but not actually I didn't actually have an opportunity
to do that before because they had two guys in front of me. And
when I got in the game, you know, we were running some basic
plays, but it was more experience than anything else, you know, I
mean, the defense offense did help, but it was more experience than anything
else. Learning from the mistakes and that was very, very important talking and
that was going to lead my next question about the talent level and the practices.
Talk about give the give the fans a sense of and I and I
can attest to some of this too. The practices on a Tuesday or Wednesday
at full full pads, the offense versus the defense, the ones versus the
ones, they were incredible. When you it's and when you combine the talent
level that was on both sides of the ball back in the early nineties there
with with Derek and all the I mean, the you can name twenty five
guys that played in the NFL on both sides of the ball there in those
during those couple of years. Just talk about the talent level of practice and
how practice was so much for a lot of you guys, probably harder than
the games a lot of times, a lot of weeks. Yes, it
was very competitive in practice. The one on ones were always very spirited.
Two minute drill. We're always spirited. I mean, you think about our
scout teams. The guys who were on scout teams at that time, you
know, we're we know them today. They were professional athletes. Yeah,
and so it was, you know something that we always enjoyed the competition.
You know, it was it was always the case where for me they were
I was always down, you know, in the pocket, so they didn't
want to chase chase me those things. They would always you know run by
and say, well I've got you. But the same thing happens with Jordan
Travis uh this day and age uh so. But it's all, you know,
all in good fun, you know, once it's all said and done.
But goal line was always very very very very spirited. Oh yeah,
you know, offensively we had gases on the line. Oh yeah, they
had up downs or whatever it was that coach Andrews had for them, and
so it was always you know, very very expirited. Our goal line set
sessions. Oh I remember, I remember those goal line sessions. Man,
it would be it would be a war man. Coach ricked against coach Andrews,
and you guys were talking so much smack to each other between plays.
It was unbelievable. Yeah, So those are those are always good, good,
good, good camaraderie for the that's the other part. Competition for sure,
for sure. All right, So a couple more I'll get you out
here. Obviously, rivalries is of big thing with with Obviously during your career
you've been involved in some epic rivalries. Obviously Game of the Century at Notre
Dame, the rivalry with Miami and Florida. We are talking to you during
the Miami Week here this week. Just talk about from a collegiate perspective,
just the different level of rivalries. Obviously, to me back in the early
nineties, Miami was a little bit more of a rivalry than Florida. They're
both great, but at the time Miami was so dominant as well. Let's
talk about the being involved in such great rivalries with guys that you've probably played
some high school ball with but just in the state of Florida in general,
the rival between Florida State and Miami, Florida State and Florida. I mean,
you know, it was always real. But the part about you know,
on the field is totally different then off the field, because a lot
of times, I mean a lot of these guys played together, played in
high school together, played against each other in high school. I know I
played against I played with a few guys that went to you know, all
Star games right that, you know, Miami or Florida. So I mean,
off the feel healthy respect, healthy respect. I mean, you know,
it's all and fun. You want to win the game so they can
have bragging rights for that lead for that year at least. And you know
it's always spirited. I like to use that word, but it was,
you know, the people in the stands were spirited. The guys on the
on the field, I got after it. Uh. There are a lot
of pro players on the field going back back and forth. The competition was
fierce. Even the games were you know, most of the games were close
because of the competition. Yeah, the field, and so junior year,
you know, we weren't able to you know, overcome you know, some
red zone issues that we had. We moved the football, we just couldn't
score. But senior year we were able to overcome with the late Devin Bush
interception to seal it right one points in the first half, which was enough,
and our defense was solid all year. They only gave up ten points
that game. So it was just when you talk about robberies, you know,
the team that makes the least amount of mistakes and the team that makes
the big plays normally win those types of games. And but you're always prepared
and ready because no matter what the records look like, you know the team's
are going to be competitive. And people don't realize nineteen ninety three when Florida
State won the national title for their first ever national title, quarterback by this
man right here, non conference schedule, Notre Dame, Miami, Florida all
non conference. I mean, obviously they lose the game at Notre Dame.
Then Charlie probably makes one of the best plays in Florida State history. That
again some people some don't remember. Third and ten at the swamp. He
throws a wheel were out to Warrick done up the sideline for about seventy five
yard touchdown to seal that game. And obviously you still have to play your
ACC schedule, but playing a non conference schedule like that, that was against
something Florida State and coach Bowden was known for not afraid to ever play anybody.
You had to play Florida and Miami every year that which was both non
conference at the time. Just that the gauntlet that that Florida State had to
go through and then you obviously lose the the epic game up at Notre Dame,
but just that scheduling by coach Boden was something and also was such on
allure for so many guys that want to go play there. Right, Yes,
I mean, you know we always played those teams, no non non
conference at that time. You know, Mimi and Florida as you mentioned,
were non conference, and you know we we played tough, tough teams.
Dame was senior year and but when it's all said and done, we had
the teams to be able to compete at a high level. So regardless of
who we played and where we played, we were going to go and compete
and we had a team that could win, you know, on the road
at home. Right, So it was one of those deals where regardless of
who you play, you got to go and compete and execute at a high
level. And unfortunate for us my senior year, we went able to overcome
a bad second quarter to come out with the victory. But we were able
to, you know, put together eleven other good games one one in the
regular season, and then we were for the opportunity to play in a NASA
championship against Nebraska, and we ended up winning that game, right eighteen and
sixteen. And you know, I guess dramatic type fashion in a lot of
ways talk about and yeah, yeah, for sure. So And speaking of
rivalries, you had a couple of epic NBA robberies. You would the Nicks
in the heat when you're every time you see coach bang Gundhi, do you
still you still give him a bunch of a bunch of heck about hanging on
the Alonzo Morning's leg under the pile there in the classic fight with the heat.
We just knew it after I mean, with that, we knew he
had our back. That's all right, you know, unfortunately that was the
case. But he's a he's a competitor as well, and you know,
he was doing the best he could with those giants trying to break up.
But you know, coaches, that's who he was, and that's the way
the reason why we played the way we played so grateful form. Is there
a difference between the competitive rivalry and the professional sports as opposed to college or
is it pretty much the same? You know, obviously in the pros they're
all you guys are all adult, grown man with families and you know,
all that good, all that stuff. Is the competitiveness any different at that
at the two levels, No, it's the same. I mean, once
you get out there and compete on the court, like, it's very similar.
You know. I have friends that were on the heat, Bruce Bowen
and I you know, we would go out to eat sometimes before the game,
right or after the game I'm sorry, after the game, or the
night before the game. So it was I mean, it's just what it
was on the court. Do you compete at a high level and you contend
to be friends. I mean that's just where it is. You fight,
you fight for two and a half hours, then you go you go have
some dinner after the game. Right, that's funny. How did you enjoy
living in New York City kind of the mecca of all that stuff. And
you're pretty quiet, uh, you know, a pretty pretty low, low,
low spirited guy when it comes to going out and socialized. And I
would imagine, and I'm sure you had some teammates that liked to live in
the lifestyle a little bit of New York City. How challenging was that for
you to be able to want to make sure they didn't do stuff too much
over the edge that hurt the team, maybe that maybe they're living too much
in the lifestyle living in New York City. How did that blend work out?
When you were the kind of the quarterback in the point guard of the
Knicks, well, the the professional lifestyle, especially in New York. You
know, we reported a lot of opportunities, that's what New York does,
but show premiers all those different types of things that you have access to,
and that was all great, and you know, it also afforded other opportunities
for those that want to do other things. I was just not that guy.
I mean I didn't go and hang out, uh, you know,
at bars and clubs and those types of things. But how challenging was adapt
maybe talk to a guy that you could tell was maybe getting a little too
wild at the night life. But you knew, boy we need him,
that we need his contribution to the team. Is that a fine line of
talking to a guy to say, hey, settle down with the nightlife and
we really need you here. No. I mean I didn't get into those
guys and what they did, as long as they brought what they needed to
bring. Most of the times. That was the case, right, Guys
who may have liked to hang out all type of time times all night,
but they came to practice. I mean practice might have been a little different,
but you know what, it didn't hurt us in the sense of us
being one team, uh, them following what we what we needed uh them
to do. But you know, if there it was something that needed to
be addressed, I'm sure yeah, it was addressed in some form of fashion.
You know, if there were issues uh during that time, you know,
we didn't we we had access to sports site psychologists and other you know
fields, uh, and some of those were extreme cases. But you know,
when it's all said and done, we just had to come and play
as one unit each and every night. And I mean I didn't get down.
I couldn't understand how guys could get in late and then go out,
you know. But that's what they did and wanted to do, and there's
nothing I can say to stop them. All right, last question, I'll
get you out of here. You've now transitioned to the coaching world. You've
been coaching for a bunch of years now, football, basketball, and Charlie
Ward won the state championship in twenty twenty two at Florida High and Tallahassee.
Talk about the joy that you experienced being a coach on the other side of
the of the of the Ledger there a little bit from coaching the state champion
high school kids and just the joy of being on that side of the world.
Well, it's been a true blessing to be able to share my experiences
with the young student athletes that I've coached over the years and be able to
help help them with exposure to seeing things that they may not have seen otherwise,
using my net work to be able to help support the program and and
so it's just been and also being able to you know, bring in coaches
that are aligned as well to be able to help our kids develop and grow.
It's been a great joy to be able to help those you know,
student athletes grow in that area because you know, when it's all said and
done, that was someone did it for me, and I was grateful that.
I'm grateful that I have an opportunity to be able to give back in
that regard, to be able to help open the eyes of open the eyes
of the student athletes that I've coached. Well, Charlie, been a real
pleasure. I really appreciate. Charlie is also the author of the book The
Athlete, to definitely go find that on your favorite book outlet. Keep up
the great work, Charlie, on and off the court and on your charitable
work. You do a lot of great stuff all over the place for a
lot of people. And we really appreciate and Florida State legend nineteen ninety three
Heisman Trophy winner, National champion, State champion coach, appreciate the time.
Awesome, awesome visiting with you, sir. I appreciate it. Jason,
it's good seeing you you too. Take care and have a great Let's go
kick miamis you know what this week too, buddy, Take care, Charlie.
Alrighty, thanks for listening to the Florida Football Insiders podcast as part of
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