Florida State Offensive Linemen Weigh In On the Firing of Alex Atkins

Darius Washington and Maurice Smith spent the majority of their FSU careers under Atkins.

Apr 20, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles offensive lineman Darius Washington (76) during the Spring Showcase at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The Florida State Seminoles have had a rough go in 2024. From injuries to disparity on the field, sitting at 2-9 as they stare down the Florida Gators as 17-point underdogs, nothing has seemed to have gone right for FSU this season.

FSU won its last matchup 41-7 against Charleston Southern, but during the previous BYE week, the Seminoles were forced to fire offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller, and wide receivers coach Ron Dugans after an abysmal 1-9 start. All three have been on staff since head coach Mike Norvell was hired ahead of the 2020 season.

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A win against an overmatched FCS opponent can't really measure how much of an impact the firings have had on the locker room. However, when offensive linemen Darius Washington and Maurice Smith were asked about the effect of the moves on the team, the sentiment seemed to be that the Seminoles were all hurt by the news.

"It was difficult for the team. I’ll just say it was something that, you know, that hurt everybody. But it's a part of life, so everybody just, you know, moved on," Smith said. "But coach Atkins was dear to my heart. A great O-line coach; a real person, he was a father figure [to me]."

Atkins was on staff for the run to the ACC Championship in 2023 but missed the first three games of the year due to a recruiting violation that is now obsolete. Regardless, 1-9 was unacceptable in Norvell's eyes for a team with national title aspirations.

The mindset towards closing out the season strong has resonated throughout the team and Washington said that they just have to 'keep playing ball' and finish.

"I feel like we did a good job just, you know, just starting off in practice, just us coming out every day just, having that mindset and mentality just to come out and practice," Washington added. "I mean we just got to keep playing ball; that's pretty much it."

Senior offensive analyst Gabe Fertitta has assumed responsibilities along the offensive line and other staff members have taken on different roles to fill the void. The team is currently preparing for their 7:00 p.m. Sunshine Showdown against Florida on Saturday, and the approach and mentality towards their arch-rival are what is important.

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