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Is Dustin Hopkins the second coming of Sebastian Janikowski?

Is it too early to get fired up about a player who won't set foot on Doak Campbell sod for another year? Not when it's FSU and that player is a placekicker.

So check out the leg on recent commit Dustin Hopkins. See why a Houston Chronicle reporter wrote last fall, "Clear Lake kicker Dustin Hopkins is one of the best in the area. He kicks it into the end zone nearly every time on kickoffs and he's got plenty of leg for long field-goal attempts."

And keep in mind, this video is from last season when Hopkins was a 16-year old high school junior.

FSU commit Dustin Hopkins in good company on Under Armour All-American team

Deadeye place kicker Dustin Hopkins joins two other FSU commits on the Under Armour All-American team: Stud DT Jacobbi McDaniel and WR/Athlete Chris Thompson.

FSU is one of a handful of teams -- along with Oklahoma, Ohio State, and UGA -- with three recruits so far on the blue chip roster. Texas has five to date and Clemson four. And that team from Hogtown? Only one.

You can catch Hopkins, McDaniel, Thompson, and hopefully a few other FSU-bound players, in the 2009 Under Armour Game, Jan. 4, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

A. J. Alexander needs more than a diploma to play this fall

FSU's fastest freshman recruit is running late. While other rookies are already working out in Tallahassee, A.J. Alexander is in summer school. Why? His hometown newspaper reports he's "not yet academically eligible to play as a freshman, because his high school grade-point average did not meet NCAA requirements."

Alexander can become eligible if he completes summer courses. Or if he raises his SAT score. He retook the test June 7 and is awaiting the results.

‘‘I had 870 [the first time]. I need 890,’’ said Alexander, who did graduate from Altoona Area High School.

Speedy A.J. missed two days of practice for the Pennsylvania - Ohio All-Star game, played the weekend before last, and it showed. The rusty Alexander fumbled, dropped a pass and ran for minus-1 yard on two carries in Pennsylvania’s 31-16 win.

Samuels cut, McPherson catching on in CFL

The guy famous for the nastiest Cane-clobbering hit ever by a Nole is the latest to be cut by a Canadian Football League team. Stanford Samuels is out after one season with the Edmonton Eskimos (getting burned, like in the photo, definitely didn't help). But according to this story in a Canadian paper, Samuels might be get a second chance with Winnipeg, his CFL  home in 2005 and '06.

Meanwhile, Adrian McPherson is the last former Nole on Canadian league rosters. After bouncing around for a few years in the Arena game, he's the nouvelle QB in Montreal. With three TD passes while playing part time in his first two exhibition games, he could unseat veteran Anthony Calvillo before the regular season. At least he's farther up the depth chart than Chris Leak, who's down on the team's inactive list.

How does McPherson rate on your list of former Noles? Let us know on the Nole Poll.

FSU's three JC stars still MIA

Our second progress report on a talented trio that could make or break the 2008 season shows...well, progress.

Markus White - We reported a few weeks ago that the nation's top JUCO defender was waiting for official word of graduation. The registrar at Butler Community College now confirms Markus has his degree. Though as of Monday he hadn't yet joined his new FSU teammates for summer workouts.

Tavares Pressley and Corey Surrency - Close but no cigar. According to their academic counselor at El Camino JC, they're both "working to finish an on-line math class." She also told us that Pressley needs another on-line class to graduate. If they pass their on-line courses, they'll graduate July 24th.

Will the real Mike Martin please stand up

Good old number 11. How much blame does he deserve for the Noles Two-'n-BBQ appearance at the CWS?

Here are two polar-opposite views. First, from our friend Bill over at Scalp 'Em, who mostly gives the veteran coach a pass. The other from a Canes site. To say it's a contrarian view is like saying Isarelis and Palestinians sorta see things differently. In fact, Nole fans with high blood pressure may want to read at their own risk.

And be sure to give your opinion in our Nole Poll on the right.

Think Bobby's got problems? Former FSU Coach has to play Judge Wapner this summer

Just to put things perspective, FSU isn't the only school having trouble with players and guns.

Former O.C. Mark Richt is deliberating on how to punish Dawgs' defensive end Jeremy Lomax, who was busted for a concealed Glock after being stopped for doing 80 in a 55mph zone. Though the gun was unloaded, Lomax posted a $3000 fine and awaits Richt's wrath. According to Georgia media, Richt is "still gathering facts" (AKA: letting Lomax sweat it out). But here's the bigger story...

Four UGA players have been arrested this year. While Lomax twists in the wind, Richt has handed down punishment for Fullback Fred Munzenmaier (will miss the first two games) and DB Donavon Baldwin (suspended for the opener against Georgia Southern). OL Clint Boling had a DUI in May and is still fighting to have the charge reduced. 

The blister that came between FSU and a College World Series trophy

We flashback again to 1970, and the CWS title game between the Noles and Southern Cal. FSU was pitching its shutdown closer, Mac Scarce (he's the one in the middle of the photo, flanked by Robin Flake on the left and Pat Osburn). Suspense built as the 1 -1 deadlock held into the 15th inning. But suddenly the Noles' ace reliever had to leave the game. Mac tells us what he remembers of that moment.

"It was a blister on my pitching finger. I'd been pitching six or seven innings and just wasn't used to pitching that long. I was pretty much short relief, basically a closer.

"I think I walked a guy in the 15th inning. And then our coach Jack Stallings took me out because of the blister. I can't recall how they loaded the bases, but the winning hit was a swinging bunt. When our pitcher went to field it, the grass was getting a little slick, and he slipped and fell and the run scored.

"When you go 15 innings and it's 2 - 1, you know it was a pitcher's duel.  Southern Cal was pitching Jim Barr, who pitched a number of years with the Giants. But we all felt like we gave it our 110% and left it out there on the field."

How do you feel about FSU's title chances this year?
"From what I understand they've got a great team this year, so I plan on watching the games and pull for 'em. I just can't believe that Florida State, with the talent that's gone through there, has never won it. So hopefully this will be the year. "

Tell us about your career after leaving Florida State.
"I played a total of eight years in pro ball, and pitched three years in the big leagues, with the Phillies, Mets and Minnesota Twins."

That was probably before pitchers signed multi-million dollars contracts, right?
"Yes. The guys today probably make pitching a game what we made in a year."

A final note. Today Mac is pitching mortgages at his company in suburban Atlanta. He says if you need a mortgage or re-fi, give him a call at 678-867-9595.

Photo courtesy of Bob Perrone at the FSU Fan's Archive.

Tay Cody a no-show up North

Looks like Tay has burned his bridges with the Canadian Football League. He failed to report to his new team, the Montreal Alouettes.

Why? The Alouettes have no idea, haven't heard from him and can't reach the former Nole. But according to a Montreal newspaper story, he received a signing bonus that he doesn't have to pay back.

Last December, Tay (no. 4 in the photo above) publicly asked for a trade from Hamilton, saying he felt he wasn't being treated like one of the team's key players, despite being named an East Division All-Star. Then he apparently inked a deal with Florida of the fledgling All-American Football League. But that fell through when the eight-team league postponed its inaugural season.

Maybe Tay decided to forego another year of frostbite on icy fields and take his chances on the AAFL kicking off in 2009.

Had Cody suited up in Montreal, he would have played with former Nole Adrian McPherson. Peter Warrick had also signed with the Alouettes, but was cut on June 3 after failing his medical exam due to "chronic knee problems."

Unfinished business: Johnny Grubb talks about the 1970 team that came came within a whisker of winning the CWS

As the Noles head for Omaha, we rewind to 38 years ago, back when the 1970 team came the closest ever to bringing home a national title. FSU played Southern California in the championship game, taking the Trojans 15 innings before Frank Alfano's bases loaded infield single broke the 1 - 1 deadlock.

Johnny Grubb was the centerfielder on that '70 team. Grubb, who went on to play 16 years in the majors, told us it's a game he'll never forget. 

"It was a heartbreaker, because we were leading 1 - 0 and had Pat Osburn pitching for us, a real good lefthanded pitcher. We just battled all the way through, and they happened to tie the game up and brought in Jim Barr and we had our relief pitcher, Mac Scarce, both of whom went on to pitch in the majors. And we hooked up 1 - 1 until the 15th inning. They made a lot of good plays and we made a lot of good plays, but they ended up beating us 2 - 1. I remember standing on the first base line receiving the awards for second place and none of us were very happy about it. I think we should have won it, but we gave it a good battle."

Read the entire interview with Johnny Grubb at our sister site,
Garnet and Great.