1985–1988

Number Retired October 7, 1995

Deion Sanders’ place in the history of college football was immortalized over a five month period in 2011 when he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in August and the College Football Hall of Fame in December. Sanders redefined the position of cornerback over his historic career winning the 1988 Jim Thorpe Award as a senior at Florida State and landing two-time consensus All-America honors. He left FSU second on the all-time interceptions list, first for career punt return yards and became one of college football’s all-time brightest stars.

2013–2014

Jersey Retired November 18, 2023

Jameis Winston authored the best season by a quarterback in Florida State history in 2013, leading Florida State to the third national championship in program history and a perfect 14-0 record. Along the way, Winston became the youngest player to win the Heisman Trophy, the first freshman to earn ACC Player of the Year honors and also took home the Davey O’Brien Award, Manning Award and was named Walter Camp Player of the Year. The Bessemer, Alabama, native set the national freshman record with 4,057 passing yards, added 40 passing touchdowns and led the nation with a 184.8 pass efficiency rating. Winston won his first 26 games as FSU’s starting quarterback and led FSU to the first College Football Playoff as a sophomore in 2014. For his career, Winston passed for 7,964 yards (fourth in FSU history) and 65 touchdown passes (second) and his 163.28 career pass efficiency mark ranked as the 10th-best in college football history at the end of his career. Winston became Florida State’s first No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick in 2015 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him in 2015. Winston was inducted into the Florida State Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class.

1995–1999

Jersey Retired September 3, 2018

Peter Warrick was one of the most electrifying players to ever don the Garnet and Gold. During his four-year career, he helped lead the Seminoles to a 45-4 record and the 1999 national championship. Warrick was named MVP of the national title game victory over Virginia Tech after catching six passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns and adding another touchdown on a 59-yard punt return as FSU became the only team in college football history to go wire-to-wire as the AP No. 1-ranked team. Warrick was a two-time consensus All-American who still holds the FSU record with 32 career receiving touchdowns. His 3,517 career receiving yards were the most in ACC history and ranked second on FSU’s all-time list. He also ranked second in school history with 207 catches, 15 100-yard receiving games and an average of 4.81 receptions per game.

1991–1994

Jersey Retired November 13, 2010

Derrick Brooks was a two-time consensus All-American at outside linebacker for the Seminoles where his blend of speed and athleticism set a new standard for the position. He starred at FSU from 1991-94 leading FSU to its first national title as a junior and earning first team All-ACC honors as a sophomore, junior and senior. He was named the ACC Player of the Year in 1994 and was a finalist for the Butkus, Lombardi Football Writer’s Defensive Player of the Year Award in both 1993 and 1994. Brooks was just as highly regarded off the field earning first team Academic All-America honors in 1994 and winning an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. In addition, he was committed to public service causes throughout his Seminole career. Brooks carried his excellence both on the field and as a citizen into his Hall of Fame career as the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ all-time leading tackler. He was voted to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls (11 total) and at the time of his retirement had made an NFL-leading 200 consecutive starts. He led his beloved Tampa Bay team to the Super Bowl title in 2002. As a professional, Brooks was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the 2000 Walter Payton/NFL Man of the Year award, the 2003 Bart Starr Award, the 2004 Bryon “Whizzer” White Award, and the 2008 JB Award for community service through the NFL Players Association, all of which recognize an NFL player annually for their commitment to the communities in which they live.

1997–2000

Jersey Retired April 7, 2001

Chris Weinke literally rewrote the Florida State record book over his career as the Seminoles’ quarterback. He set 26 school records, including both the FSU and Atlantic Coast Conference records for career passing yards with 9,839. He led the Seminoles to an undefeated season and the national championship as a junior in 1999. He became FSU’s second Heisman Trophy winner as a senior in 2000, while leading the nation in passing with 4,167 yards and averaging 347.3 yards per game. Weinke compiled a remarkable 32-3 record as the starting quarterback at FSU, which ranked as the seventh best winning percentage in NCAA history. His 79 career touchdown passes ranked as the 12th best performance in NCAA history and his career passing yards placed him at 18th on the NCAA’s all-time list. Weinke owned the first, second and fourth best passing games in FSU history headlined by a school record 536 passing yards against Duke in 2000. His accomplishments were even more impressive considering he suffered a potentially career-ending neck injury as a sophomore. Weinke’s place among Florida State’s all-time greatest players was recognized when his jersey was retired in 2001, at the time making it one of only seven retired numbers/jerseys in school history. His place among the ACC’s 16 all-time best was recognized when he was voted one of the 50 best players in the history of the conference.

1989–1993

Number Retired December 15, 1993

Charlie Ward began his senior season in 1993 chasing both the school’s first national championship and the Heisman Trophy. Ward’s passing and running skills were already well known qualities by 1993, but his inspired leadership and poise under pressure during his senior year elevated him to one of the game’s all-time greats. So exceptional was Ward’s command of the offense that coaches moved him into the shotgun to allow him to make adjustments during the play. Ward set 19 school and seven Atlantic Coast Conference records over his two years as the starting quarterback for the Seminoles. A consensus All-American, Ward won over 30 individual awards in addition to the Heisman. Ward ranks second in career total offense at FSU with 6,636 yards and has the highest completion rate for a career (62.3%) and lowest interception percentage (2.90%). Ward set the FSU record for touchdown passes in a season with 27 in 1993. Thousands of fans poured into Doak Campbell Stadium for a celebration of the national championship and Ward’s Heisman, which included the surprise retirement of his number. He joined Fred Biletnikoff and Ron Sellers becoming only the third player in FSU history to be so honored.

1962–1964

Number Retired January 2, 1965

Fred Biletnikoff played wide receiver at Florida State from 1962-64 under Head Coach Bill Peterson. He was FSU’s first consensus All-American. As a senior, he ranked fourth in the nation with 57 receptions for 11 touchdowns, not including four touchdown catches in the Gator Bowl. Following his collegiate success, Biletnikoff went on to star for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League for 14 years. During that time, he played in four Pro Bowls and was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XI.

1989–1991

Jersey Retired September 3, 2011

Florida State retired the jersey of former Seminole and NFL star cornerback Terrell Buckley at halftime of the ULM game on September 3, 2011. Buckley owns most of FSU’s interception records following his outstanding three-year career from 1989-91 including the single-season mark with 12 interceptions as a junior. He became FSU’s second Jim Thorpe Trophy winner following the 1991 season and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting. He totaled 21 career interceptions as a Seminole. Buckley was also one of FSU’s all-time great punt returners and he scored seven career touchdowns, four on interceptions and three on punts. He also played two years for the FSU baseball team and ran track for the Seminoles. Buckley was the fifth player taken overall in the 1992 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He went on to an outstanding 14-year NFL career in which he totaled 50 career interceptions.

1993–1996

Jersey Retired January 22, 1997

Warrick Dunn’s four-year career at Florida State established him as one of the most popular players in all of college football and the finest running back in school history. Dunn was the first Seminole ever to rush for over 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. His 3,959 career rushing yards broke Greg Allen’s school record set in 1984. He also broke Allen’s single-season rushing record when he ran for 1,242 yards as a junior in 1995. Dunn has the record for most touchdowns scored in a career with 49 over four seasons and rushed for over 100 yards more times (22) than any player at FSU. He was a three-time All-ACC selection as well as a member of the ACC All-Academic Team. He was selected to the First Team Football Writer’s All-America squad as a senior and earned Second Team Associated Press honors that same year.

1966–1968

Number Retired December 30, 1968

Ron Sellers remains the most prolific receiver in FSU history. He held most of the NCAA receiving records from the end of his senior season in 1968 until 1987. A flanker for Florida State from 1966 to 1968, he accumulated 3,979 yards on 240 receptions. Sellers’ career was marked by consistency, quality and quantity. He caught passes in 30 consecutive games, averaging 119.9 yards per game. Sellers also led Florida State to three bowl games during his playing days.

1977–1980

Number Retired September 24, 1988

The greatest defender in Florida State history, Ron Simmons’ No. 50 was retired in 1988. Simmons anchored the center of the defense that took FSU to a pair of Orange Bowl appearances in 1979 and 1980, resulting in FSU’s highest national rankings ever at that time. A dominating nose guard and the Tribe’s first two-time consensus All-American, Simmons seemed to camp out in opponents’ backfields. He totaled an FSU record 25 quarterback sacks and 44 tackles for loss — a mark that held top ranking at FSU for 23 years. He was the first Seminole defender to have his number retired.

1990–1992

Jersey Retired October 10, 2015

Marvin Jones won both the Butkus and Lombardi Awards as a junior in 1992 and finished fourth in the balloting for the 1992 Heisman Trophy. He recorded 369 tackles over three seasons with the Seminoles, a mark that sits seventh all-time in the FSU record books. Jones played a vital role in leading Florida State to three top four finishes including a ranking of fourth in the Associated Press poll in 1990 and 1991, and second in 1992 with an 11-1 record and a 27-14 win over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. He was inducted into FSU’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. A graduate of Northwestern High in Miami, Jones left FSU following his junior season and was selected with the fourth overall pick of the 1993 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He played his entire 10-year professional career with the Jets and finished with 1,022 tackles over 142 games.

In 1997, FSU began retiring jerseys rather than the number of its all-time great student-athletes. By retiring actual players’ jerseys, numbers would still be available for future student-athletes. FSU football has only five officially retired numbers: No. 2, No. 17, No. 25, No. 34 and No. 50.