Talented James getting into groove for ’Noles

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State standout safety Derwin James always knew he was going to play football on the game’s biggest stage. And there was never any question for which college football team he would play.

Sure, his father was a Miami fan, his mother liked the Florida Gators and his step-father liked Florida State, too. FSU at FLORIDA

But there was just something about seeing Chief Osceola planting the spear from atop Appaloosa horse Renegade that deeply resonated with James as a youngster.

James inked a Florida State tattoo on his left shoulder as a ninthgrader — before FSU coach Jimbo Fisher offered him a football scholarship to play for the Seminoles.

While Miami was the second school to give him a scholarship offer and Florida later entered the mix during his junior year of high school, James already had his mind made up.

“I knew where I was going. I knew I was going to Florida State,” James said. “I got the tatt on me in ninth grade. I knew back then where I wanted to be.”

James, Florida State’s most enticing NFL prospect, will play his second game in FSU’s storied rivalry with Florida on Saturday when the Seminoles and Gators meet at noon at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Both teams enter the game in the midst of disappointing 4-6 seasons, but FSU has an opportunity to become bowl eligible with