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© St. Petersburg Times, published August 5, 2002
TALLAHASSEE -- Florida State coach Bobby Bowden usually huddles with his assistants then his players before choosing a motto for the upcoming football season.
Not this year. He needed neither input nor discussion to know what words he wanted to see emblazoned on the Seminoles' T-shirts, what message he hoped would be impressed upon their psyches:
"Let's roll."
Those were the final words Todd Beamer, 32, spoke before he and other passengers stormed the cockpit of United Airlines Flight 93. The plane crashed into the Pennsylvania countryside rather than the intended target of terrorists on Sept. 11.
"I told my coaches, 'That's it. That's what we're going by,"' Bowden said during FSU's media day Sunday. "We've worked hard ... now let's roll."
It's not that Bowden would compare Beamer's act with playing a game. But he wants his players to be as resolute, as selfless, as Beamer and company were. For instead of rolling along smoothly as usual last season, FSU's ride was as choppy as if it hit a nail, spewing shards of tires along the roadway. FSU (8-4) not only had its unprecedented string of Top 5 finishes and 10-win seasons end at 14 seasons, it failed to win or share the ACC title for the first time since joining the league in 1992.
It even lost to North Carolina State at Doak Campbell Stadium, its first home loss in the ACC.
"What's driving us is what we did last year," junior linebacker Michael Boulware said. "For Florida State, it was really embarrassing. It was hard, especially coming from my brother."
Peter Boulware, a former All-America defensive end now with the Ravens, relayed the sentiment of past Seminoles to his younger brother. "He'd be like, 'Ray (Lewis) is giving me a hard time. What's going on down there?"' Michael Boulware said.
Most of the starters from the team that reached the Bowl Championship Series title game in January 2001 had exhausted their eligibility, so FSU had an uncommonly inexperienced group. Then in February, freshman linebacker Devaughn Darling collapsed and died after a workout.
"When he passed away, No.1, there was sadness," Bowden said. "But even more than that, there was doubt about the coaches. 'Ah, the coaches caused this."'
The Darling family said it intends to sue for wrongful death even though a police investigation exonerated the coaches and training staff.
"So there was a lot of doubt and apprehension among players and coaches and mistrust," Bowden said. "Then there was a lot of reluctance out of the coaches in the way we coached last year. I know there was from me. Can you imagine if you were coaching, and you had one of your boys die?
"And you're wondering if you're doing the right thing, and you're wondering if another one's going to die. You back off."
During the first week of fall practice, two of the most experienced players, receivers Anquan Boldin and Robert Morgan, suffered season-ending knee injuries. Their absence didn't help redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Rix make the transition from backup to starter any easier.
"Last year, we were unsure of ourselves," said Boldin, who should be 100 percent for the opener Aug.24 against Iowa State. "The team didn't really have an identity. This year, people really want to get back to the national championship game level. And right now, we're working toward that."
"It's a whole new attitude," senior defensive end Alonzo Jackson said. "It's a whole new air about us. Everybody is ready to get out there; ready to show the world what we have. It's a whole new energy. I'm ready to get out there. Oh, my God, I'm ready to get out there."
The players asked coaches to push them during the offseason. Most stayed in Tallahassee during the summer to work out on their own and reported to camp in better shape than a year ago.
Boulware said players are more humble and promise not to overlook any opponent, something they confess to doing last season. There's a palpable sense of purpose.
"Last season was interesting," Rix said. "This season is going to be fun. Like Coach Bowden says, 'Let's roll.' That's our state of mind right now. Let's get out there and do it."