THE SOD STARTER

Head coach Bill Peterson led the Seminoles from 1960 to 1970. Hired on December 7, 1959, after serving as an assistant at LSU, Peterson took over following the departure of Perry Moss. During his tenure, “Coach Pete” laid the groundwork for FSU’s rise as a national football program, recruiting talented players and hiring assistants who went on to become coaching greats themselves. One of Peterson’s most enduring legacies is the Sod Cemetery tradition, which began on October 18, 1962. After a historic 18-0 upset over Georgia in Athens, team captain Gene McDowell brought back a piece of turf from Sanford Stadium at the request of faculty member Coyle Moore. Peterson buried it on the practice field, beginning a ritual that continues to this day, with each “sod victory” memorialized outside Doak Campbell Stadium.