Florida State names guest coaches for Spring Showcase scrimmage

Release from FSU Sports Information

TALLAHASSEE – Florida State will welcome back members of the 1999 national championship team, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024, as guest coaches for the Spring Showcase presented by Whataburger, head coach Mike Norvell announced Monday.

Travis Minor, Tommy Polley, Corey Simon and Peter Warrick will represent the first team in college football history to go wire-to-wire as the nation’s No. 1 team. FSU’s 1999 team began the season No. 1 in the Associated Press poll and never relinquished that position while rolling through a 12-0 season that culminated with the program’s second national championship after defeating No. 2 Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.

“I’m looking forward to celebrating the 1999 national championship team during our Spring Showcase and appreciate Travis, Tommy, Corey and Peter being willing to join us as guest coaches,” Norvell said. “All four players had tremendous success at Florida State and beyond, and their stories are testaments to what hard work and commitment can achieve. I’m excited for our team to learn from their example and experiences, and for our fans to be able to show their appreciation for the 1999 team during the Spring Showcase.”

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Minor was a four-time All-ACC performer and the conference’s Rookie of the Year in 1997. He earned first-team all-conference accolades in 1998 and was a second-team selection in 1997, 1999 and 2000. Minor led FSU in rushing all four years as a Seminole and the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native still ranks fourth in FSU history with 3,218 career rushing yards and seventh on the program’s all-time list with 28 rushing touchdowns. He also added 831 receiving yards and 85 kickoff return yards for a total of 4,134 all-purpose yards, still seventh in program history, in an era before stats from bowl games counted toward career totals.

Minor was selected in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He appeared in 118 games over the next eight seasons, the first six with the Dolphins before playing the 2007 and 2008 seasons with the St. Louis Rams. Minor gained 3,720 all-purpose yards and made his mark as a dynamic kickoff return specialist, averaging 21.7 yards per return over his career with a total of 2,016 yards on 93 returns.

Polley earned All-America honors in 2000 and was a first-team All-ACC selection in 1999 and 2000. His blocked punt in the Sugar Bowl resulted in FSU’s second touchdown of the game and a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. He finished his career with 289 tackles, including 19.0 for loss with 7.0 sacks, 14 pass breakups, six fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles and two interceptions. The Baltimore native made a career-best 109 tackles in 1999 and reached triple digits again with 100 tackles in 2000. His career tackles total still ranks 19th on FSU’s all-time list.

Polley was a second-round pick by the St. Louis Rams in the 2001 NFL Draft. He was the 2001 Defensive Rookie of the Year and a member of the All-Rookie Team after collecting 85 tackles, 4.0 for loss, while playing all 16 games in the regular season with 11 starts. In his NFL Playoffs debut, he made two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown to help the Rams defeat Green Bay 45-17 in the Divisional Round on the way to Super Bowl XXXVI. Polley spent four years with the Rams before signing with the Baltimore Ravens in 2005. He played in 73 games with 64 starts and recorded 392 tackles, including 311 solo stops, and four interceptions.

Simon was a two-time first-team All-American and achieved consensus All-America status in 1999, when he led the ACC with 21.0 tackles for loss as part of an 84-tackle season. He recorded a career-high 10 tackles in a 17-14 victory at Clemson and made an interception and blocked a punt in FSU’s 35-10 win at Virginia. In the first drive of the Sugar Bowl, he made a tackle for no gain on third-and-1 at the 4-yard line before recovering a fumble on 4th-and-1 to end Virginia Tech’s scoring opportunity. A Pompano Beach native, Simon finished his FSU career with 193 tackles, including 44.0 for loss with 11.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, nine pass breakups and one interception. He was inducted into the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.

After his collegiate career ended, Simon was selected No. 6 overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He spent five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was named to the NFC’s All-Rookie Team in 2000 and selected to the Pro Bowl in 2003. He started four NFC Championship Games during his time in Philadelphia and helped the Eagles reach Super Bowl XXXIX. He also played for the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans during his eight-year NFL career.

Warrick was a two-time consensus All-American and still holds the FSU record with 32 career receiving touchdowns. His 3,517 career receiving yards were the most in ACC history and ranked second on FSU’s all-time list, and Warrick also ranked second in program history with 207 receptions, 15 100-yard receiving games and an average of 4.81 receptions per game. The Bradenton, Florida, native was inducted into the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010, had his jersey retired by FSU in 2018 and was a member of the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Team in 2002.

One of the most electrifying players in college football history, Warrick was named MVP of the national title game after catching six passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns while adding another score on a 59-yard punt return. He was selected No. 4 overall in the 2000 NFL Draft by Cincinnati and spent five seasons with the Bengals. He played in Super Bowl XL after helping Seattle win the NFC Championship Game to earn the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance.

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