FSU’s All-Time Alumni Football Team (Defense)

By Jaime Garcia Montes on August 1, 2017

Offensive players usually draw the majority of the media and fan attention in college football because they are typically the ones scoring touchdowns, but as the saying goes, defense wins championships.

Florida State University has had no shortage of defensive talent in their football team’s history. Since FSU fielded its first football team in 1947, the school has had 10 players with double digit interceptions, 10 players with over 350 tackles, and 22 or more sacks in their Seminole careers.

In a separate article, I focused on what an all time dream team would look like for FSU’s football team on the offensive end. In this article, I would like to shift the focus to the opposite side of the ball: the defense. If FSU were to have an all-time team consisting of the best players in school history, here is what the defensive side of that team would look like.

Defensive Tackles: Ron Simmons and Andre Wadsworth

Although neither of these players became impact players in the NFL, they were absolute game changers for the Seminoles’ defensive units.

Before Ron Simmons went on to become a World Champion wrestler, he was a dominant force on the defensive line of the Florida State football team from 1977-1980. After his outstanding four years playing for the ‘Noles, Simmons finished second in school history with 483 career tackles and fourth in school history with 25 sacks (12 of which came in his freshman season).

Andre Wadsworth joined FSU’s football in 1994 as a walk-on freshman. Wadsworth became a better player each of his four years with the Seminoles, earning All-American and All-ACC honors as well as being named the ACC Player of the Year in 1997. He finished his career with the Seminoles having the seventh most sacks in school history (23 sacks), 16 of which came in 1997, which is second most in school history for an individual season. Wadsworth’s play led to him being taken with the third overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals.

Defensive Ends: Reinard Wilson and Peter Boulware

Reinard Wilson and Peter Boulware played together for FSU from 1994-1996 until they both declared for the 1997 NFL draft. Wilson will go down in school history as one of the most dominant defensive players to ever play for the Seminoles. After playing four years with FSU from 1993-1996, Wilson set the school record for most sacks of any player in school history with 35 sacks.

Peter Boulware finished his FSU career one sack short of tying Wilson’s school record of 35 sacks; however, he did set the school record for most sacks in a single season by any FSU defensive player with 19 sacks in the 1996 season. What is so amazing about Boulware’s 34 sacks is that he was able to do this in only three seasons.

Boulware continued to dominate on the football field at the next level in the NFL, where he would win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, appear in four Pro Bowls, and win a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000.

Middle Linebacker: Marvin Jones

Marvin Jones played middle linebacker for the Seminoles from 1990-1992. In those three years, he was a standout player, with his best year coming in 1992, as he received the Butkus award — which is given each year to the top collegiate linebacker — the Lombardi award, and named an All-American as well as being tagged as Sporting News College Football Player of the Year.

Needless to say, Jones had one of the best individual seasons of any FSU football player in school history. Jones finished his FSU football career eighth on the all-time tackles list in school history with 369 tackles, the most of any player through three years. He also had an impressive career in the NFL. After being drafted with the fourth overall pick in the 1993 NFL draft by the New York Jets, Jones played 10 years for the Jets and earned a spot on the NFL All-Pro First-Team in 2000.

Outside Linebacker: Derrick Brooks

You can’t make an all-time FSU alumni football team and leave off Derrick Brooks. Brooks played for the ‘Noles for three years from 1992-1994 and had some incredible collegiate accomplishments: three-time All-ACC player, two-time All-American, 1993 ACC Defensive Player of the Year award winner, and an integral piece in FSU’s first National Championship team in 1993.

Brooks went on to showcase his undeniable talent in the NFL with a 14-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Recording a franchise high in tackles for the ‘Bucs, he was also named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2002), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2002), selected to 11 Pro Bowls, and played a major role in the first NFL Super Bowl-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers team throughout his professional career.

Outside Linebacker: Reggie Herring

Reggie Herring was a tackling machine for the Seminoles during his four-year collegiate career from 1977-1980. For three consecutive seasons, he led the defensive unit in number of tackles on the season. Herring is third on Florida State’s all-time tackles list in school history with 452 tackles.

Cornerback: Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders or ‘Prime Time’ is one of the best defensive backs in football history. Sanders served as a versatile player for the Seminoles from 1985-1988, as he was a standout cornerback and an amazing punt returner. He finished his collegiate career as a two-time All-American with 14 interceptions, putting him tied for third in school history for most career interceptions. One of his many interceptions was returned the entire length of the field for 100 yards, making it a school record.

Sanders was drafted fifth overall in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He would play an astonishing 19 seasons in the NFL and would be named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1994, as well as be selected for eight Pro Bowls and win two Super Bowls. Sanders was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2011 and is widely regarded as one of the best defensive football players in the history of the sport.

Cornerback: Terrell Buckley

This guy was an absolute ball hawk. Buckley is Florida State’s all-time leader in career interceptions with 21, which he was able to accomplish in only three seasons at FSU from 1989-1991. His career interception return yardage number of 501 yards is not only another school record that he owns but also a NCAA record. His knack for picking off passes continued into his NFL career, as he grabbed 50 interceptions throughout his 14-year professional career.

Free Safety: Monk Bonasorte

A two-time All-American during his four-year career playing for FSU from 1977-1980, Bonasorte is second on the all-time list of career interceptions behind Terrell Buckley with 15 interceptions. Unfortunately Monk passed away in November of 2016; however, his legacy will live on through the impact he made on Florida State University both on and off the field.

Strong Safety: Leroy Butler

Butler is most well-known for being the main component of one of FSU’s greatest sports moments: The Puntrooskie. Butler amassed 194 tackles and nine interceptions throughout his collegiate career, making him a very balanced defensive back. Butler went on to play 12 seasons for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl championship in the 1996 season.

Among these players, there are NFL Hall of Famers, NFL Pro Bowlers, and a ton of school defensive record holders. This team should be a testament to the kind of talent that Florida State University’s football program develops. Combined with the all-time offensive unit for FSU’s football team, I’d say this is one amazing dream team.

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