Garnet & Great

From year one of the program til the early 60s, Florida State never had a pure passer. Even Lee Corso, best-known of the early signal-callers, ran for twice as many yards as he passed. Then Bill Peterson installed an NFL-style offense  to compete against an increasingly tougher schedule of big time opponents. To pilot his aerial circus he chose Steve Tensi, a lanky kid from Ohio with a howitzer for an arm. Tensi connected—both on the field and off—with a sure- handed receiver named Fred Biletnikoff. Together, they led the upstart Seminoles to wins over the gators and Oklahoma, on the way to number 11 finish in 1964. After moderate success in pro football, Tensi retired to become a contractor in North Carolina. He passed away in mid-March at the age of 81. We’re proud to have known Steve and to have recorded this conversation recalling his football career and memories of his time at FSU.

It was late 1973  and FSU Football was 0 - 11. Fans were either unhappy or apathetic. The program was in shambles and Larry Jones resigned as coach. What's more, the deck was stacked against whoever replaced him. Enter Darrell Mudra, fresh off rebuilding programs at Arizona and Western Illinois. Now if he could just work that same magic in Tallahassee...Sorry, he wasn't the savior FSU was looking for. But Mudra paved the way  by leaving the program better than he found it. Taking baby steps in everything from a strength program to becoming competitive again. In 1975, his second and final year, FSU lost 5 games by a total of 15 points.  And how about a little respect for coming within 1:27 of beating Alabama on its home field?  Mudra passed away last week, though the news was lost in headlines about the Noles resurgence. So we thought it right to dust off this rare interview from a decade ago as Mudra talked about nearly upsetting Bama and the challenges he faced  in resurrecting FSU's program almost 50 years ago. Back when he had far less to work with than every coach who came after him.

Arguably the most impressive win of the pre-Bowden era was actually a tie. The year was 1967 and FSU had lost its opener to Houston. Next up: Alabama, riding a 21-game win streak. Here's the story,  told by FSU players who shocked the college football world that night at Birmingham's Legion Field. Including original radio play-by-play as the Noles scored more points than Bama gave up the entire previous season.

Joe Avezzano was an undersized offensive lineman on FSU’s 1964 team that crashed the big time college football party. But you’ll know him better as the Energizer Bunny on the Dallas Cowboy’s coaching staff in the 90s when they won three Super Bowls. Along the way, he was a college assistant, a head coach, Big D. celebrity, entrepreneur and radio talk show host. Which is why this episode of Garnet & Great is more than an interview, it’s the story of a life in football, right up til the end.

Listen to Geno Hayes talking Seminole memories while back at FSU for a Sod Cemetery event during the 2014 season. One of the program's most ferocious linebackers and a fan favorite, Geno passed away from liver disease on April 27 at age 33.