Fueled by Early-Career Struggles, Jordan Travis Is Ready for His Moment

The Florida State quarterback’s persistence and confidence have him positioned to be one of the best players in the country.

CHARLOTTE—The corners of Jordan Travis’s mouth wriggle into something resembling a smile as he tries not to give too much credence to the question posed: Do you notice people who were saying a certain thing about you last year—‘he can’t play,’ ‘he’s not this or not that’—and how they’ve changed their tune after your success?

“I saw a couple people that were talking pretty bad, but now they admit it,” Travis says. “As long as they’re real man, that’s the main thing about life, it’s not always about proving other people wrong, it’s about proving yourself right. I always want to prove myself right every single day about what type of person I am, what type of player I am.”

While Travis is more of an internal motivator, he remembers things from his struggles. Like the night the Florida State quarterback was booed at home against Notre Dame, or the feeling of melancholy after a crucial interception on the road against NC State, a moment he called a turning point in his career as the Noles lost while trying to mount a comeback. Now he’s back, as a moderator joked, for what may be a record third media day appearance. But Travis’s career has been a true act of persistence, including a potential position change. He admitted to being down in the dumps at various times, especially when former coach Willie Taggart was fired and Mike Norvell took over.

To get to Norvell’s office, he would have walked past a reception desk and three gleaming crystal national title trophies that represent FSU’s past success. He’d also have to walk past the three Heisman trophies won by Seminoles quarterbacks Chris Weinke, Jameis Winston and Charlie Ward. Few people, if any, would have picked Travis to join that group in the spring of 2022 after an up-and-down season, but Norvell did. He told his QB that he believed he could win one. Now, the hate has turned to hype, and there aren’t many players with shorter Vegas odds to bring home the stiff-arming trophy. Norvell admitted to SI that last spring that other quarterbacks were brought to his attention as potential transfer targets, but the decision was firm for him to stick with Travis as QB1.

Travis threw for a career-high 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns last season :: Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports

“I think confidence comes through work, and he’s done that,” Norvell says. “He’s invested the time, the energy, built the relationships. He’s developed his leadership through the course of his actions. He cares about his teammates. It’s real. It’s not something he says when it comes on the interview. It’s what he shows up with every day. Regardless of the situations that show up and the circumstance he finds himself in, he knows he’s got brothers that have his back. He’s got a coaching staff that believes and supports him. He’s willing to do the things necessary to help himself get better.”

And he certainly has gotten better. He nearly doubled his passing attempts from 194 in 2021 to 353 in ’22, yet still slightly improved his completion percentage from 62.9% to 64% and threw one fewer interception. He also led the team to huge wins over Miami, Florida, LSU and Wake Forest as the Seminoles reached a 10–3 record. It’s safe to say things have changed for Jordan Travis, and as he gets ready for an FSU season with the most hype of his career, he feels he's ready by keeping the main thing the main thing and taking one step at a time. If he plays his cards right, he might just get his own Heisman Trophy.