SOMETHING TO PROVE

After a heartbreaking loss in the 1996 National Championship Game, the Seminoles were looking to bounce back in a meaningful way. The team adopted the saying “I Got My Man” for the 1997 season, wearing the saying on t-shirts under their jerseys. “It’s about taking responsibility instead of pointing fingers or worrying about what went wrong,” said safety Shevin Smith. “Take care of your job and everything else will take care of itself.” These shirts were solely for the members of the football team and staff, not available to the public or used in outward marketing campaigns. Seen here, the saying was etched onto a sign that players would each touch as they left the locker room to head out onto the field at Doak Campbell Stadium. Later sayings included “Discipline to the Desert,” “Not About Me” and “No Excuses.”