Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
CJ Henderson ‘one-of-a-kind guy’
Cornerback developed into a future early-round NFL draft pick.
TALLAHASSEE — Nyqwan Murray begins a 30-minute walk down State Road 435 in Orlando, leading a group of kids from Eagle Nest Elementary on their daily walk home.
Murray normally doesn’t have time to walk students safely down the six-lane road, but Hurricane Michael forced the Florida State football players to leave Tallahassee and the Orlando native was free to visit his hometown in mid-October.
At the time, the Seminoles were 3-3 and were forced to take a break a few days after a 28-27 loss to Miami.
While some would prefer to immediately play to get back on track, Murray was grateful to get a few days away to put the team’s adversity in perspective.
“I always love being with the kids. I feel for them because I know how it is,” Murray said. “Walking with the kids from school, I walked about two miles and it was hot crossing the street, but it was pretty amazing.”
He graduated from Oak Ridge High School about seven miles away from the elementary school and knows the area can sometimes be burdened by a mix of heavy traffic and violence.
Murray remembers his childhood fondly partly because of his
celebrated grandmother, Annie Collin. He plays football for her and she has become an FSU fan favorite thanks to her relentless cheering from the stands.
“She’s been the biggest impact of my life, my football career, everything,” Murray said.
“I just want to take care of my family, go to the NFL. It’s been one of my dreams all my life, so accomplishing that goal would be big — buying my grandma a house and she not having to work again.”
Murray is poised to play his final home game with the Seminoles Saturday when FSU hosts rival Florida. He enters the game ranked No. 17 in FSU history in career receptions (124) and No. 18 in receiving yards (1,819).
“He’s one of those guys that wants the ball every play if he can get it,” FSU coach Willie Taggart said. “You love those kind of guys.”
At age 5, Murray joined the Orlando Buccaneers youth football team and fell in love with the game.
He met future college teammates Deondre Francois and Jacques Patrick at age 9 through their community football league. Their personal bond has helped them handle adversity and push for success over the years.
“It was like déjà vu,” Francois said after Murray’s 58-yard game-winning touchdown against Louisville. “I’ve seen him do that numerous times.
“He’s a magician with a ball in his hands.”
Murray is hoping he can deliver another gamedefining play against UF. FSU needs a win to extend the school’s 36-year bowl game streak.
“It’s going to be the last time with my brothers on that field, walking through that tunnel, so it’s going to be tough on me,” Murray said. “I know that it is, but I’m going to try to leave my legacy and leave my mark the last game against Florida. It’s a big one, too, to keep this bowl streak alive.”
No one who signed with Florida State expected to lose as many game as the team has during the past two seasons. Murray sure didn’t.
As a freshman in 2016, he enjoyed a 10-3 season and sealed the 33-32 win over Michigan in the Orange Bowl with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Francois with 36 seconds remaining.
Two years later, Jimbo Fisher — the man who coached FSU to its third national championship in 2013 — resigned before the end of the 2017 season when the Seminoles were 5-6 with one regular-season game left to play.
“I don’t really like to talk about it, but it was really heartbreaking,” Murray said of Fisher’s departure. “It hurt the team because Jimbo was one of those great coaches. He taught me how to be a better man.”
The 2018 season tested his patience in a different way as FSU works to rebound from Fisher’s departure under Taggart’s direction.
“Big learning experience [for me],” Murray said. “Coach Taggart is going to get everything going back in the right direction. He knows what he is doing and look out for Florida State in a few years.”
Murray is trying to make the most of his last few plays in Tallahassee.
“I just want to leave my legacy as a guy that works really hard, as a guy who leaves everything on the field,” Murray said. “And show the kids back home that they can make it out, that it’s not hard. Anybody can do it.”