Warchant 1-on-1 with James Colzie: Former FSU DB and current FAMU assistant coach
While the 2023 Florida State football team was deprived of its opportunity to compete for a national championship, one former Seminole standout will get his chance to win one this Saturday.
James Colzie, who played cornerback for Florida State from 1993 through 1996 and returned as a graduate assistant coach under Mickey Andrews in the mid-2000s, is now assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.
The Rattlers are 11-1 on the season, with their only loss coming by six points at USF in early September. They have won 10 straight games and become more and more dominant as the season progresses. FAMU has won its last five games by a combined margin of 174-56.
Later this week, Colzie and the Rattlers will travel to Atlanta for Saturday’s Celebration Bowl against Howard University at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The annual postseason game is considered the national championship game for historically black colleges and universities.
Before leaving for Atlanta, Colzie sat down for an interview with Warchant managing editor Ira Schoffel to discuss his coaching journey, his playing days, the influence of Mickey Andrews, Bobby Bowden, Chuck Amato and others in his life, and how much he has enjoyed coaching at FAMU.
Here are some highlights from the interview:
On his famed interception during The Choke at Doak:
With Florida State trying to complete a miraculous comeback against the rival Florida Gators in 1994, it was Colzie’s interception of UF quarterback Danny Wuerffel that set up Florida State’s final score. While it might be the play he is best remembered for in college, Colzie laughed while recalling that Andrews actually made him run gassers afterward.
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“The minute we get back and grade the film, I was awarded the big play of the game on the defensive side of the football. But I also got a minus because I was looking at the quarterback. So a minus was a gasser. Then I got another minus for the celebration afterward. So I’m getting patted on the back for this amazing interception, but like I said, Coach Andrews was a stickler for the details.”
On his favorite play in college:
Of his nine career interceptions at Florida State, Colzie said his first pick — which came in The Swamp in 1993, when he was a true freshman — is probably the one he remembers most fondly.
“Terry Dean threw an out-route to Jack Jackson, and Coach Andrews always talked about beating them to the spot. Got a chance to do it, and got a chance to celebrate afterward.”
On longtime Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews:
“Coach Andrews is the best. Not one of the best, he’s the best defensive coordinator in the history of college football.”
You can watch the full video right here:
Talk about this story with other die-hard FSU football fans on the Tribal Council.
