Travis: FSU career is over, but ‘job’s not finished’

Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior WriterNov 20, 2023, 11:15 AM ET
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- ACC reporter.
- Joined ESPN.com in 2010.
- Graduate of the University of Florida.

Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis on Monday confirmed he is out for the season after suffering a lower left leg injury against North Alabama on Saturday.

In a social media post Monday, Travis thanked everyone for their thoughts and prayers since the injury. He was tackled at the end of a run and his left leg bent awkwardly underneath him. Trainers rushed to the field immediately, and he was carted off with an air cast on his left leg and taken to the hospital.

Travis remained hospitalized over the weekend, according to his Instagram stories. In one video clip, he showed his room filled with teammates who came to visit.

“I have been overwhelmed by the support from my teammates, coaches, the Florida State community and those all around the world,” Travis wrote in his statement. “Although the injury … marks the end of my Seminole playing career, the great memories created here at FSU will never fade.

“Being the quarterback here at Florida State University has been a dream come true. I am humbled, honored and forever grateful. The journey this team set out on is not over yet as all of our goals still lie just ahead. I am excited to be by my brothers’ sides every day as we continue our attack. We’re all we got, we’re all we need. Job’s not finished. Go Noles!”

Travis, who grew up in West Palm Beach as a Seminoles fan, transferred to Florida State in 2019 after beginning his career at Louisville. He emerged as the starting quarterback midway through the 2021 season after nearly walking away from the game.

He has helped bring Florida State back to the top echelon of college football, throwing for 8,715 yards, which ranks second in school history, while amassing a school-record 10,676 yards of total offense.

Florida State has won 16 straight games and clinched a spot in the ACC championship game against Louisville on Dec. 2.

Travis is the only player in school history ranked in top 10 on FSU’s career passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns lists.

“Jordan will be talked about forever in this program,” coach Mike Norvell said during his weekly news conference Monday. “It’s not necessarily going to be just about his playing ability. It’s going to be about who he is.

“There’s an expectation and responsibility we have for him because he’s been such a huge part of this journey. We’ve got work to do. We gotta put it in. Our guys came in with great purpose yesterday. I was pleased with the work that I saw. Guys know what needs to be done.”

The Seminoles (11-0, 8-0 ACC), who were No. 4 in last week’s CFP rankings but fell to No. 5 in the latest AP Top 25, visit rival Florida on Saturday and will start Tate Rodemaker, who has spent his four seasons with the Seminoles as a backup.

Rodemaker has had his opportunity to help the Seminoles win games. Last season, when Travis went down with an injury against Louisville, Rodemaker came into the game and led the Seminoles to a comeback victory.

He went 13-of-23 for 217 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions against North Alabama on Saturday.

Norvell said nobody on the team was shocked to see what Rodemaker did last week, and the coach has the “utmost confidence” in the quarterback.

“We’ve seen him do that before,” Norvell said. “We’ve seen him on the road. We’ve seen him lead us back. We’ve seen him be ready when his number’s called, and he’s always answered that. We’ve got a football team that’s going to rally around and behind him. It’s his time.”

As for how the College Football Playoff selection committee will view Florida State when the next rankings come out Tuesday, Norvell said that is not something he needs to address with his team.

“I’m sure they hear it,” Norvell said. But thank God the opinions of others don’t dictate what our actions are going to be. This team, a year ago, nobody thought we were worth a crap. They proved them wrong. Big expectations coming into this season, and people waiting for us to slip and fall. They’re continuing to get better.

“Quarterback goes down. Oh, that must be it. That’s why we get to play the game. It’s why we get to go to work. It’s why we get to continue to push and build and go be all that I know that this team can be. I believe in them. And I believe if we can put that on display, then maybe a few more will believe in what they can do.”