James eager to lead ’Noles against Tide
TALLAHASSEE — Saturday’s matchup between No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Florida State may be considered the greatest college football opener of all time. But one player’s highly anticipated return could trump all of the pregame hype.
As momentum has built this offseason for the first matchup between two topthree teams since the Associated Press poll was created in 1950, Florida State standout safety Derwin James has also swelled with anticipation.
James, the redshirt sophomore from Haines City, is on a mission that will begin at MercedesBenz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday. He wants to show why he deserved to be named college football’s best player by Sports Illustrated earlier this offseason. A strong start could help help him generate Heisman Trophy and NFL first-round draft buzz.
“I haven’t done anything yet. I’ve only played in [15] games,” said James, who missed 11 games due to a meniscus repair last season.
“I still feel like I’ve got something to prove. It’s great to have [the preseason accolades], but I haven’t reached my full potential yet.”
James is arguably one of the most versatile players in the country.
He can line up at his natural safety position while also playing cornerback, linebacker and even defensive end.
FSU running back Jacques Patrick says James, a player he used to go toeto-toe with as a high schooler in Central Florida, could even be a No. 1 receiver for any team if James chose to pursue a standout role on offense.
But the hard-hitting James, who once bodyslammed former NC State quarterback Jacoby Brissett and bulldozed former Florida Gators right tackle Mason Halter, flourishes the most when he’s coming downhill on defense.
“I think he’s every bit as good as anybody we’ve ever played against,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said of James. “This guy’s just a very aggressive player.”
Added Patrick, with a laugh after a practice session last week: “I just blocked him, [and] I had to tell him to calm down.”
After all, there’s only one way James knows how to play football: at peak intensity.
During the second half of a blowout victory already in hand against Charleston Southern in Week 2, James planted his left leg and delivered a shoulder bump to a receiver that ended his own season.
There was chatter of James possibly making a return near the end of last season, especially after an on-field workout at NC State in November against doctors’ orders.
“I used to get mad at the trainers each and every day,” James recalled. “We used to bump heads a lot. I used to say, ‘Why this? Why that?’ I didn’t agree with them sometimes. I stopped trusting them. But at the end, I finally realized it was my best interest is to just wait.”
Now James cannot wait to make his presence felt, especially as the undisputed leader of Florida State’s defense.
FSU coach Jimbo Fisher wants James to simply “just go be Derwin, play the game” in his first game back.
While James has special motivation on an individual level, he wants to help the Seminoles win their first Atlantic Coast Conference title and College Football Playoff semifinals berth since 2014.
“There’s definitely a chip on our shoulder,” James said. “We feel like we have a lot to prove this year. We’re not waiting until the midseason or toward the end; we want to start in the first game in the first quarter, not waiting around for somebody to make a play. We want to start from the start.”