Patrick Surtain Sr. is well aware of the highs and lows football brings.
As a prep coach, he experienced multiple state titles and undefeated seasons. As a player in the NFL, he saw All-Pro seasons, he saw the playoffs, and he saw losing seasons.
The game isn't meant to be constantly steady, physical and mental adversity are frequent. How you deal with down times, however, often defines your year and perhaps your career.
Thinking back to his playing days, Florida State's defensive backs coach remembers the 1999 campaign – just his second year in the NFL – in which the Miami Dolphins started 8-1 but finished the regular season at 9-7. They made the playoffs and won in the Wild-Card round before being bounced the next round in a historically lopsided game to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"Started off hot, took a swoon, was able to make it to the playoffs," Surtain said. "But you just got to keep fighting, man. That's the ebbs and flows of football. You're not going to win them all. But you've got to keep fighting, stay positive, and keep going to work every day. I think these guys have done that, and we're looking to get back on the right track come Saturday."
The Seminoles find themselves in the midst of a four-game losing streak to open ACC play after beginning the year 3-0. With pressure from the outside increasingly mounting in Year 6 of the Mike Norvell Era, players have consistently discussed the importance of blocking out outside distractions on aspects such as their performances and the future of their head coach.
Easier said than done. While FSU has been competitive in all of its losses this season, there have been long stretches in which hesitation has shown and discipline has been lacking.
But for a coach who preaches "response" and "eyes up", the lack of eye contact during the pre-half speech on the field against Stanford or the dismissal from Edwin Joseph before he and Norvell got into it on the sideline, it's hard to ignore these data points.
"I address all of it," Norvell said when asked specifically about the lack of eye contact from some players before half in the team's last game. "Sometimes in that moment, guys are disappointed or frustrated. You can allow yourself to be distracted, or you can choose to lock in. That's why I value eye contact — it tells me where the follow-up needs to go.
"Afterward, there's usually ownership from guys acknowledging it and growing from it. If you stay removed or frustrated, you miss plays that follow. When guys flush everything else and stay focused, they can overcome bad momentum or circumstances."
Players and coaches alike have been adamant that the team has responded with energetic, physical practices during the bye week as well as on Tuesday ahead of this weekend's homecoming contest against Wake Forest. The messaging is that this is a team that's still engaged, with Surtain stating on Tuesday that "I know this team won't quit."
"It's pride. Pride, love for the game, love for taking care of your family," Surtain said. "Obviously, it's different in the pros—most guys have families, so they've got to go out there and put it on the line for them. In college, you have to have a genuine care for the program, respect the name on the back of your jersey, and be self-motivated to play for your brothers.
" A lot of these guys' lasting goals are to get to the NFL. You never want to put bad stuff on film. So it's self-motivation and pride in playing for Florida State—a prestigious university—and the will to go out and compete. We've got guys who have that in mind. I know this team won't quit. They're going to keep fighting, and we've just got to find a way to win one and go from there."