VELLER’S VAULT

These well-worn equipment chests, bearing the name “Don Veller,” offer a rare and personal glimpse into the early days of FSU football. Veller, a former All-American at Indiana and decorated Navy officer in World War II, was hired in 1948 to lead FSU’s fledgling football program. He went on to compile a 31-12-1 record from 1948 to 1952 and led the Seminoles to their first-ever postseason appearance in the 1949 Cigar Bowl. Later Veller coached the Seminole golf team and amassed a .772 winning percentage. After Veller died in 2006, FSU athletic director Dave Hart said, “No one in our history left the same indelible mark on the foundation of FSU athletics as Don Veller.”