Florida State Football Signee Redefines Stereotypes Ahead Of Transition to College

Chris Andre' Otto is bringing a diverse skillset to Tallahassee on and off the field.

Andre' Otto strives to be the best. Whether it is on the football field or behind the camera, he always wants to perform better than his competitors.

In December, Otto signed a national letter of intent to play football for Florida State University. With a schedule revolving around football, he still plans on creating films in his spare time.

Otto has shattered the “dumb jock” stereotype by earning a 4.1 grade point average and winning awards in video productions at the state and national levels. Athletics aside, he has proved himself to be a well-rounded student in academics and film alone.

Ed Smith is a TV productions teacher at Key West High School and taught Otto for four years of high school. Smith said Otto is constantly challenging himself in everything he does.

“He's never satisfied with just being the best at something,” Smith said. “He has to be the best at something and look ahead to the future as to what he's gonna do next.”

Otto has won film competitions at the state level and was recognized as a finalist at the All-American High School Film Festival, which is the biggest high school film festival in the world. His films have allowed him to travel to New York City and Orlando where his films were showcased on the big screen.

In his junior year of high school, Otto submitted an environmental Public Service Announcement to the Palm Beach Student Showcase of Films. In his PSA, called “Polaroid,” a teenager takes pictures at the beach with a Polaroid camera. The PSA shows a clean beach but the Polaroid film shows a polluted shoreline.

“What awesome camerawork,” YouTube user JCS said in reference to Otto’s award-winning film. “I love the creativity of the viewfinder of the Polaroid versus reality!”

Otto chose FSU over Princeton, Stanford, Penn State, Syracuse, and 20 other schools not only because of its football program but also because of the opportunities and connections he will make in film. FSU’s film school was ranked 14th among national programs according to the Hollywood Reporter, and 96% of students are working in the film industry within a year of graduating.

Otto plans to continue to excel at FSU, where he will start in June. With the history and legacy enriched in Seminole football, which is ranked 7th in the AP Preseason Poll, Otto hasn’t forgotten his dream of being a world-class filmmaker.

“I wanna be able to influence people with my films,” said Otto. “I want to look at my films and be like, this is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen.”

The Florida native has an opportunity to be a special addition to Florida State's 2023 class on and off the field. The Seminoles are bringing in 29 newcomers that include a mix of high school, junior college, and transfer portal prospects. The haul ranks No. 16 in the country according to 247Sports.

Otto was regarded as the No. 773 overall prospect, the No. 53 OT, and the No. 119 recruit in the state of Florida in his class per 247Sports.

READ MORE: Three Exciting Home Matchups For FSU Football In 2023

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