Alabama DB Terrion Arnold has sympathy for FSU: 'It would've broke my heart'
Alabama defensive back Terrion Arnold is obviously thrilled that the Crimson Tide earned the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff. But Arnold also feels bad for Florida State.
The Tallahassee native strongly considered going to FSU out of high school and has friends on the Seminoles team. He had mixed emotions when the rankings popped up Sunday afternoon with Alabama at No. 4.
“We’re very, very fortunate to get in. I felt some type of way even about like Florida State,” Arnold said Monday on The Paul Finebaum Show. “Because you know, I’m from Tallahassee, Florida. And I feel like it’s just one of those things where even me talking to Jordan Travis, I just got done talking to Keon Coleman, guys like that. It makes it something that you want to go out there and play for. Even them not being able to get in, I’m going to go out there and play for my guys, play for Bama nation but even play for them, too – being from Tallahassee.”
Florida State was left out in part because Travis suffered an injury late in the season.
The committee factored that injury into its final rankings and went with a 12-1 Alabama team at No. 4 over of an undefeated Florida State squad.
Terrion Arnold admitted that he would’ve been upset if he was playing for the Seminoles.
“It would’ve broke my heart. Ultimately like, I would’ve just been looking like… the injury that happened, we wouldn’t be having this same conversation if it didn’t take place,” Arnold said.
“It’s one of those tough decisions that you have to make, and I thank God that I’m not on the board of the committee. Like they say, there really isn’t a right or wrong decision. Obviously if you chose to put them in, then you would’ve had a whole bunch of rebuttal from Alabama. And you choose to put Alabama in, you’ll have a whole bunch of rebuttal from the people of Florida. So it’s just one of those things where I’m glad I’m not a part of the committee.”
Just how close was Arnold to attending Florida State? At one point, he thought it was a lock.
“I was [Florida State] all the way until the whole situation with Willie Taggart. Growing up, hometown hero, growing upm I was like, ‘Y’all might as well not come recruit me. I’m going to Florida State. That’s what it is,'” Arnold said. “Coach Norvell, he’s done a great job turning the program around. And looking back at it, everything he’s accomplished… looking at it now, I probably would’ve went there.
“It was one of those things where Florida State, they hadn’t made the turn, and it was just a whole bunch of uncertainty. They weren’t the Florida State I grew up watching with Jimbo Fisher. … I didn’t want to be a part of that chaos.”