Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
One tough leader
QB earned ’Noles respect after taking multiple hits
“It’s a part of the game, and I feel like if you can’t take hits, you shouldn’t play the game.” Deondre Francois, FSU quarterback
MIAMI GARDENS — Deondre Francois frequently told Florida State quarterbacks coach Randy Sanders how tough he was, but he never got a chance to truly prove himself.
As a redshirt freshman with the Seminoles in 2015 and even as a high school senior at Bradenton IMG Academy the year before, Francois was not the subject of many incoming hits from opposing defenders. That changed when he earned FSU’s starting quarterback job this season.
It did not take long for Francois to impress coaches and teammates with his talent. But after taking hit after hit while leading the No. 11 Seminoles (9-3) to an Orange Bowl berth against No. 6 Michigan (10-2), he earned their respect.
“We’ve seen him grow right in front of our eyes,” FSU star running back Dalvin Cook said. “He’s been the leader pushing the tempo, being more vocal. He’s been doing a great job leading us.”
Cook said he knew Francois was ready to be Florida State’s starting quarterback while watching his work on the scout team last season. Francois’ dedication to film study to help the Seminoles prepare for opposing offenses showed Cook that the young quarterback was ready to lead.
Francois carried the same approach into his first season as a starter, winning Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the year honors. He completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,128 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions during the regular season.
Francois led the Seminoles to their biggest comeback victory in school history in the season opener against Ole Miss, tossing a career-high 419 yards passing. Entering the Orange Bowl, Francois tallied five 300-yard passing games during his freshman season, second-most behind Jameis Winston, who had seven in 2013.
While taking comparisons to Winston in stride before the season, Francois hopes to end his first year running the offense with a bowl victory, a first for FSU since Winston led the Seminoles to the 2013 national championship.
“We want to go out the season with a bang, let the seniors leave with a gold legacy, set the standards for next year and next season,” Francois said.
With Cook likely heading to the NFL after his junior campaign, Francois undoubtedly will be asked to lead the offense in 2017.
Along with his talent and steady play, Francois’ ability to return to action after being knocked out of games against rivals Miami and Clemson this season won over his teammates and helped cement his role as someone whose voice in the huddle matters.
“It’s a part of the game, and I feel like if you can’t take hits, you shouldn’t play the game,” said Francois, who added that his offseason workout regimen has led to better conditioning.
Sanders and fellow Florida State co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Lawrence Dawsey have seen Francois’ toughness rub off on his teammates.
Players on the team now have the mentality, “‘If my quarterback can take that kind of pounding, how can I complain about doing what I’m supposed to do to help him be successful?’” Dawsey said.
“You can’t speak enough about how his toughness and leadership helped propel this offense to where it’s at right now.”
Along with having the intelligence to be successful, Sanders says Francois also gets more from his teammates because he responds to adversity without pointing fingers.
The Seminoles hope Francois takes his lessons learned to be the player they need to lead the offense in the future.
“He’s still learning how to lead and how to lead the football team,” Sanders said. “There’s a lot of things involved with being a quarterback at this level other than what you do on Saturdays on the field. He’s still developing that way, but obviously he’s had a great start to his career this season.”