Florida State Seminoles DC Tony White was humbled in a way that another blue-blood program couldn’t do
The Florida State Seminoles beat the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, and it humbled defensive coordinator Tony White.
Beating the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday put the whole world on notice that the Florida State Seminoles are back after a terrible two-win season in 2024. That game made everyone realize that, yes, the football side of the Seminoles is back, but also the atmosphere is, too, one that really can’t be fabricated. Defensive coordinator Tony White was humbled by it.
“There are a few moments in coaches’ lives where you stop and just look around, and are like ‘okay, I’m here, I am truly here.’ So I was, and I still am humbled by the electricity, the support, and man, the feeling in the air. It was truly magical. So, we hope to keep recreating moments like that for all of us. We all won yesterday – the fans, the boosters, I mean, the president was in the locker room, the recruits, the faculty, the students, we all won yesterday, so we are going to try and recreate moments like that,” White said Sunday.
Tony White humbled in first Seminoles game is surprising considering his coaching history
Florida State is back, in every way imaginable. Sure, there are still at least 11 games left to play. But, you can’t say this game didn’t have the atmosphere and feeling that nearly every single game had in 2023, when the Seminoles should have made the postseason. For DC Tony White to be humbled by an experience like that says a lot, especially when you realize where all he’s coached.
White is coming to the Seminoles with a resume that may not be what his counterpart Gus Malzahn has, but it’s still pretty good. Malzahn has been a head coach before, and coached in some big-time games, including when he won a National Championship as an OC, and lost one to Florida State as the HC of the Auburn Tigers. White hasn’t quite done that; in fact, he’s never been a head coach.
White joined the Seminoles as their defensive coordinator after being the DC at Nebraska and the assistant head coach there under Matt Rhule, too. Nebraska may not be what it used to be, but it’s a blue-blood and has one of the most die-hard fan bases there is. Their stadium is known for hosting one of the best college football environments possible.
Yet, White was humbled by what happened on Saturday when they beat Alabama. That just goes to show you what FSU can be when they’re at their best, or just not at the bottom.
