DeMarco Ward injury: Florida State linebacker heads to locker room

Things have gotten off to a rough start for Florida State on Saturday in their heated rivalry game with the Miami Hurricanes. The Seminoles trailed 14-0 early in the second quarter, and they had backup linebacker DeMarco Ward head to the locker room, after he needed assistance to walk off the field. According to Liam Rooney, he was not moving well, and Ward was helped from the medical tent toward the locker room. He was not putting a ton of weight on his legs, but was walking with both feet.

While Florida State did make things interesting for most of the night, the Miami Hurricanes pulled away in the fourth quarter, finishing it off with a 36-14 win. It’s just more salt in the Seminoles’ wounds this year. Florida State now sits at 1-7 overall, after finishing the regular season 12-0 in the 2023 campaign. It’s one of the worst turnarounds of any program in college football history.

Florida State HC Mike Norvell contract buyout

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Mike Norvell signed an 8-year extension through the 2031 season worth more than $84 million before the 2024 season.

If Florida State decided to part ways with head coach Mike Norvell at the end of the 2024 season, the Seminoles would owe their head coach roughly $63 million. The head coach’s buyout drops by roughly $9 million after each season. 

Norvell signed an eight-year extension through the 2031 season worth more than $84 million before incentives before the 2024 season. According to Norvell’s contract, he is owed 85 percent of his remaining salary as a buyout.

Here is a full buyout breakdown:

+ Buyout drops to $54.4 million after the 2025 season
+ Buyout drops to $45.6 million after the 2026 season
+ Buyout drops to $36.8 million after the 2027 season
+ Buyout drops to $27.7 million after the 2028 season
+ Buyout drops to $18.5 million after the 2029 season
+ Buyout drops to $9.3 million after the 2030 season

Norvell would receive $875,000 a month through Dec. 31, 2031, if fired at the end of this season. He is set to earn $10.15 million in 2025. His contract includes a $150,000 raise each season. The Florida State coach will make $11.05 million in the final year of his contract in 2031.

In 2023, Mike Norvell led Florida State to its first 10-win season since 2016. Florida State finished 13-0 and captured its first ACC title since 2014. He was hired in December 2019 after four seasons at Memphis. Norvell initially inked a six-year, $26.5 million contract.

The 42-year-old head coach is in Year Five at Florida State. He was 3-6 in his inaugural season in Tallahassee in 2020. The Seminoles opened the 2021 season 0-4 but won five of their final eight games to finish 5-7. In 2022, Florida State finished 10-3 with a win over Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl. The Seminoles finished No. 11 in the AP poll, setting up for the breakout 2023 season.

On3’s Pete Nakos also contributed to this article.