Travis' Addition to the FSU Post

I remember Dad talking about Sol Carol being FSU's oldest and biggest fan. I always thought he was cool for an old guy because he always had those FSU flags and buttons and hats. I remember thinking we were related to him for some reason. I remember when he died. I think he died of a heart attack on a fan bus while traveling to an FSU football game. It may be an urban legend, but that is how I want to go.

I remember being told one of Mom and Dad's kids' births (maybe mine) was scheduled at an inconvenient time. During an FSU game.

Like Aim, I also remember as a kid collecting piles of FSU cups after every game. Around our house when I was a kid we affectionately dubbed FSU cups "the fine China." When Aim and I got married I figured it was now my job to make sure everyone out in Utah had enough FSU cups to last for the year. One of the key ingredients to any good Nole fans year's supply. Stephen and I used to wait until the stands were empty and then we would start collecting our cups. This was apparently fine while I was working at Southern Seafood gutting fish all day. But when we were still collecting cups after I had graduated from law school and passed the bar my boss (a Gator fan) told me I needed to grow up. My reply: "Never!"

Stephen and I ran into Dusty Brock a couple years ago after one of the games. Dusty was a Deputy Sheriff who was working security for the game. I hadn't seen Dusty for several years. Stephen and I were walking down one of the ramps with several large stacks of FSU cups. Dusty looked up and said "Some things never change." I hope they never do.

I remember after one of the football games some of the scouts decided they would see how fast they could run from the top of the bleachers to the bottom. Correct me if I'm wrong, Rob, but I think you were the one to get that started. This particular night the bleachers were wet from rain or dew. I remember one daring young scout trying to make a name for himself took off down the bleachers. After getting up a good head of steam he started to lose it. His foot slipped off one of the bleachers about half way down and both legs shot straight out in front of him. I watched as he bounced from bleacher to bleacher, clearing about 15 bleachers at a time in between. He finally came to a stop somewhere near the bottom of the stadium. I remember it as if it had happened in slow motion. Everyone else ran over to the stairs and started making their way toward the fallen scout. By the time I reached him he was up and sitting on one of the bleachers. He seemed to be alright. I remember telling him "I think you won that race."

I remember the night Aim and I met Warrick Dunn and Charlie Ward. Warrick and Charlie were eating at Old Town Cafe in Tallahassee. That weekend Charlie was getting married in south Florida. Charlie was already in the NBA, and Warrick was still at FSU. I remember when I asked Warrick for his autograph he seemed genuinely surprised I knew who he was. In a sincerely honest and humble tone he said "you want my autograph?" Did I mention Warrick Dunn is my all time favorite FSU football player? Also, Warrick the Dog is one of my favorite dogs of all time. One of, but no dog can beat Bo.

I remember seeing Dan Mowrey (an FSU kicker) in Tampa, Florida. We both finished law school at the same time and were both in Tampa to take the Florida Bar exam. He was headed to St. Augustine to be an Assistant District Attorney. Dan and I talked for awhile about what had happened to each of us since high school. We talked about Wide Right II. The fan reaction of many of the fans was tough on Dan. I assume the same fans who treated Dan like trash were the ones who sent death threats to Chris Weinke after Weinke through 6 picks in one game his sophomore year. Weinke went on to win the Heisman. Dan went on to be a very good and consistent kicker for FSU.

I remember Reinard Wilson and Peter Boulware playing til "the echo of the whistle" to quote Mickey Andrews. Steve Spurrier didn't like that. Neither did Danny Wuerffel. Hey Spurrier, put a running back in the backfield to block for your quarterback. You meathead.

I remember Bobby Bowden being the keynote speaker at one of our Church Firesides. He encouraged us to believe in God and to keep His commandments. I'm trying, but I'm apparently having a hard time with refraining from calling Gator coaches "meatheads." I'm not doing much better with Oscar Meyer down there, but I do hope is health isn't as bad as reported on TV. Tebow makes stomaching the Gates more palatable though. How can you go wrong with a popular college kid who is willing to tell the national media that he is a virgin? Great man. Glad he's graduating.

Directions to Gainesville: East til you smell it. South til you step in it.

I remember rehabing my thigh muscle in FSU's weight room with FSU's strength coach, Dave Van Halinger. I remember seeing Marion Butts walk into the weight room my first day there. He was massive. Over the next few months of working out there I realized that almost all of the FSU players were massive. Especially compared to me.

I remember when Dexter Carter set that flag on that Miami player's head after the Miami player laid him out on a personal foul. Check out this Youtube Video of it.

I remember taking Stephen and Jacob to a FSU game several years ago. FSU was honoring the troops that day and half of one of the end zones was filled with men and women in military fatigues. It was awesome to see them. Before the game started, a B-2 Bomber (aka "the Flying Wing", aka "Sadam's Worst Nightmare") flew over the stadium. The whole stadium suddenly went dark as the shadow of the Bomber engulfed the stadium. It was AWESOME! Stephen and Jacob still talk about that game with emphasis on the Bomber.

I remember the 1996 Thanksgiving Day game between the Noles and Gates. Grandma Robbins invited me, Aim, Traci and Jason to Cairo for Thanksgiving. She said we could watch the game on a big screen TV at one of the relative's houses. She didn't tell us (I don't think she realized) that most of our Cairo relatives are Gates. Even though the game was played in Tallahassee, FSU was a 7 or 10 point underdog. But the Noles came out of the gate strong and, behind the dominant running of one Warrick Dunn, we beat the Gates. Grandma, Jason and I stood the entire game on one side of the room while our Gator relatives stood on the other. Grandma chewed on her fingernails the whole time. Our dog P-nut had recently given birth to puppies and we were looking for a name for the only puppy we had left. That puppy was Warrick and that was the day Warrick got his name.