FSU’S EARLY YEARS

These vintage gold Rawlings football pants, marked “ARW” on the waistband, reflect the rugged, early years of FSU football. After a brief stint in the early 1900s, the Seminoles returned to the field in 1947, finishing their inaugural season with a 0-5 record under head coach Ed Williamson. Just two years later, the team flipped its fortunes, going 9-1 in 1949, which was one of the fastest turnarounds in college football at the time. That same season, FSU claimed their first win over in-state rival Stetson and capped the year with a 19-6 victory over Wofford in the Cigar Bowl, marking the program’s first bowl appearance and postseason win. By 1954, under coach Tom Nugent, the Seminoles made national noise with an 8-4 season and an appearance in the Sun Bowl. These pants are a nod to that gritty, do-it-all era, when players often played both offense and defense.