Ex-Florida State football star Marcus Outzen dies

The former Seminoles quarterback, who earned fame for his late-season play and appearance in the first BCS National Championship Game, died from a rare disease.

Nov 21, 1998; Tallahassee, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Marcus Outzen. / RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-Florida State football quarterback Marcus Outzen, who started for the Seminoles in the first-ever BCS National Championship Game, has died. Outzen's death was announced by his son and then confirmed by the Tallahassee Democrat.

Outzen died from complications associated with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, a rare immune deficiency disorder, the publication reported.

Affectionately nicknamed "Rooster," the quarterback spent five seasons with the Seminoles program under head coach Bobby Bowden from 1996 to 2000 and earned prominent playing time late in the 1998 season after starting quarterback Chris Weinke suffered a neck injury.

Florida State was in the national championship race at the time as Outzen started the last two games of the year, both hugely important to that cause: beating Wake Forest and then rival, No. 4 ranked Florida in the finale.

With that win, and others around the country, the Seminoles moved up the rankings, ultimately to No. 2 in the polls, earning a spot in the national title game against No. 1 Tennessee.

The third and last start of Outzen's career with the Seminoles was a 23-16 loss to the Volunteers in that matchup, and although Weinke returned to the team, Outzen remained with the program as the backup before graduating from school in 2000.

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