Mike Norvell shares heartfelt moment with child who wrote Orange Bowl letter when team arrived back at FSU

The Orange Bowl went about as badly as possible for Mike Norvell and Florida State. However, he got a pick-me-up when a young Seminoles fan went up to him upon returning to Tallahassee and gave him a letter that the fan had written.

Since then, Norvell has shared the letter and what this young fan thought he needed to know in that frustrating and difficult moment.

“I wish the committee could see the greatness in your team,” the letter began. “Your team should be winning the national championship right now but I’m glad you kept fighting and every game I saw awesome, fast, strong, fighting relentless players that never stopped.”

2/2 here is the letter he wrote to @Coach_Norvell pic.twitter.com/FGeof6Nx23

— Greg Tish WVFT Real Talk 93.3 (@Greg_Tish) December 31, 2023

“Just because you lost last night doesn’t mean you aren’t unstoppable. Norvell, you have a great team.”

The young child who wrote the letter is, of course, referencing the decision by the College Football Playoff selection committee to rank the Seminoles outside of the top four and keep them out of the Playoff itself, largely due to the injury suffered by quarterback Jordan Travis.

Instead, Mike Norvell saw his Florida State team get slotted to play Georgia in the Orange Bowl. It was an ugly game for the Seminoles all around though. Amid numerous opt-outs, Florida State lost the game 63-3, and as the young fan’s letter pointed out, it really wasn’t the whole story of who this year’s Florida State team was.

In the end, it’s unlikely to completely remove the sting of the loss for Mike Norvell. However, this letter from a young FSU fan is a good reminder of how far this team has come since Norvell first took over the program and how the team has played throughout the 2023 season.

Jordan Travis pens emotional farewell to FSU fans

Following the Orange Bowl, injured quarterback Jordan Travis penned an emotional farewell to FSU fans.

“Thank you Florida State University,” Travis wrote. “Thank you to my teammates and coaches. What a journey and I wouldn’t change a thing. ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.’ God is great all the damn time.”

Jordan Travis saw his career at Florida State end with an injury against North Alabama. It was a massive loss that was largely used to justify keeping the Seminoles out of the College Football Playoff. Now, as he moves on from the program, he’ll always be remembered for the role he played in its turnaround.