How Jordan Travis embodies the turnaround of Florida State's program

A dark cloud loomed over Florida State‘s 58-13 win over North Alabama on Saturday, as star quarterback Jordan Travis was carted off of the field in the first quarter following a gruesome leg injury that will put an end to his season with the Seminoles.

Travis transferred to FSU after one year at Louisville ahead of the 2019 season, joining the Seminoles one year before the arrival of head coach Mike Norvell.

Every single season of his career with Florida State he improved as a player and the Seminoles’ record improved along with him, and following his devastating injury, On3’s Andy Staples spoke with Warchant.com’s Jeff Cameron about Travis impact on the programs bounce back.

“He is beloved by his teammates,” Cameron said. “Mike runs an open practice, so me and the press are lucky enough to be at every practice and he’s fine with that. Obviously there’s certain rules, but you get to see relationships form, you get to watch how people respond to each other.”

“This team to a man across the board responds to Jordan Travis’ leadership,” Cameron continued. “And he’s a quiet leader, he does it mainly just by practicing hard every day, being consistent, being there and Jordan’s a guy that I think again represents Florida State’s turnaround. And they’ve rode that wave of emotion and later on to victory these last two years with him.”

Travis’ injury is a devastating blow as the team is in the midst of a historic undefeated season, with him being a major catalyst of the program’s progressive growth and a beloved leader amongst his teammates.

“You could see it on the player’s faces last night Andy, you had kids that were in tears. I saw Trey Benson was nearly inconsolable, there were a lot of guys that respect what Jordan Travis has done for this program, for them, and then also for themself turning his career into something that every Florida State fan will remember forever,” Cameron explained. “Andy he’s in the record books across the board for Florida State and the ACC, if you look at those numbers they’re mind-boggling.”

Saturday likely marked the end of Travis’ career at the college level, leaving the game with 8,714 career passing yards, 1,950 rushing yards, and 97 total touchdowns. The plays he made between the white lines will be remembered forever by Florida State plans, but his legacy in turning around FSU’s program may last even longer.