'I'm just grateful' ... Safety Shyheim Brown reflects on breakout season for Florida State
At the start of the 2023 season, safety was a big position of concern for Florida State fans. And the Seminoles’ coaching staff apparently shared that sentiment, at least to some degree, as they attempted to land high-profile safety targets out of the transfer portal earlier in the year.
As it turned out, Florida State’s safety play was a strong element of an excellent Florida State defense in 2023 — thanks in large part to senior Akeem Dent staying healthy for most of the year, and redshirt sophomore Shyheim Brown emerging as one of the best young defensive backs in the ACC.
Brown also was one of the few defensive starters to play in the Orange Bowl on Saturday after Florida State was snubbed by the College Football Playoff selection committee earlier in the month.
“It wasn’t too hard, because you show up with the guys you love and play for every day,” Brown said of suiting up for a short-handed FSU team against Georgia. “It was hard for about a week for me, but I talked to my mom, and she had some wise words for me. So it wasn’t too hard. And then I love these boys to death, so it wasn’t hard to come out here and play for these boys.
“Knowing we didn’t make the playoffs was hard, but at the end of the day, we had a job to do. Things didn’t go our way, but we’ve got to hit the drawing board, come back next year, get things right. You never want to be in a position like this losing by 60, but … I feel like everybody played to the best of their ability tonight, even though things didn’t go our way.”
Brown announced recently he will be returning for another season with Florida State in 2024. This past season, he racked up 53 total tackles, two sacks and an interception. He also proved to be quite durable, playing in all 13 games for the second consecutive season.
As disappointing as Saturday’s game was, Brown said he and his teammates can take pride in going 13-0 and making it to a prestigious bowl.
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“When I was a freshman, we weren’t in this, so I’m just grateful,” Brown said. “DeLo (senior Kalen DeLoach) gave a speech at the end of the game: It took five years to get here for him. It only took like two for me. So I appreciate everything. You know, the work.”
During pregame warmups before the Orange Bowl, Brown wore a T-shirt that featured photos of several Florida State defensive backs with the word, “Elite,” below them. It was the same shirt the Seminoles’ secondary wore before the Florida game in The Swamp.
Few of those top players suited up on Saturday — starting defensive backs Dent, Renardo Green and Jarrian Jones opted out of the game — but Brown said he won’t let that diminish his memory of this season.
The Lake City native said he will always remember Florida State’s 2023 campaign fondly, which is why he sported that shirt in pregame.
“13-0 and then who I got to do it [with],” Brown said. “Even the bad games, the good games, you know. I’m always gonna remember who I did it with and how we did it. … I had to show out the guys one more time.”
Talk about this story with other die-hard Florida State football fans on the Tribal Council.
