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Jordan Travis believes his injury changed Mike Norvell's tenure
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- Jordan Travis believes his injury changed Mike Norvell's tenure
Former Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis believes the trajectory of the Seminoles, and ultimately Mike Norvell's tenure, may have looked entirely different if his 2023 season had been cut short by a devastating leg injury against North Alabama.
Speaking on the Take Two Podcast , Travis thanked Norvell and his family for everything they have meant to him before revealing that he still carries some personal weight from how Florida State's undefeated 2023 season unfolded.
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"If I don't break my leg, bro, Mike Norvell is still at Florida State, I believe," Travis said. "I believe that we compete for national championships for the next few years."
Travis suffered a season-ending injury against North Alabama in November 2023. Florida State continued winning without him, finishing the regular season 13-0 and capturing the ACC championship, but became the first undefeated Power Five conference champion left out of the four-team College Football Playoff.
Travis believes reaching the playoff, and potentially competing for a national championship, could have dramatically changed what followed.
"If we go to the playoffs that year and go to the championship, we have a lot more money here at Florida State, and a lot more attention, and Mike Norvell is still at Florida State today," Travis said.
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It is an impossible counterfactual to prove, but the contrast between that season and what followed is dramatic. Florida State went 2-10 in 2024, 5-7 in 2025, and opened 2026 at 3-5 before Norvell was fired on Nov. 1 following a 36-24 loss to the Clemson Tigers. His tenure ended with a 41-39 record, with the undefeated 2023 regular season and ACC title standing as its high point.
Travis made clear that his connection with Norvell extends well beyond football.
He thanked Norvell, his wife Maria and their daughter Mila, calling them family and saying he plans to continue visiting his former coach wherever his career takes him.
Travis also reflected on Norvell's faith, remembering how he led the Seminoles in prayer after wins and losses.
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"It reminded me that it's always bigger than football," Travis said.
For Travis, Norvell's firing was more than another coaching change. It brought him back to one of the defining moments of his own career and left him wondering how different Florida State's recent history might have been if that night in November 2023 had ended differently.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Jordan Travis believes his injury changed Mike Norvell's tenure
