No Seminole has worn #17 since 1993 because of…
#17 – Charlie Ward
DON BURK/The Times-Union
Charlie Ward was a 6’1″ 190 lbs quarterback out of Thomasville, GA. One of the most decorated players in college football history…FSU’s 1st Heisman Trophy winner…QB of FSU’s 1st National Championship team. Statistically he doesn’t really dominate the record book: #8 Career Passing Yards, #7 Single Season Yards, #3 Season TDs, #5 Career TDs. He was one of the most clutch players at QB in history always rising to the occassion. A knack of avoiding pressure, he used his gifted feet to escape and find a receiver, or just mosey (cause it never really looked like he was running fast) on down the field for the first down. He was a precision passer holding the all time season (69.5) and career (62.3) percentage completion records. He also holds the season record for rushing yards for a QB with 504. Most importantly, he finished his career with the highest winning percentage of any QB (.917) with a record of 22-2.
A two-sport star at Florida State, Ward also played 4 years on the FSU basketball team as a point guard. Despite only playing half of the season due to football in both his Junior and Senior seasons, Ward finished 7th all-time with 396 career assists and is still the all-time record holder for steals with 238. He was drafted in the 1st Round by the New York Knicks and played 11 years of solid basketball in the NBA starting 285 games out of 630 played.
Bill Capece
Bill Capece was a 5’7″ 170 lbs placekicker out of Miami, FL. Capece was a 4 year letterman from 1977-80 that spent the first 3 years in Tallahassee as the kickoff specialist. After attempting only 6 field goals combined through his junior season, Capece finally got the nod as the starting placekicker for the Noles as a senior in 1980. He responded by having an All-American season being named to the The Sporting News 1st Team and the UPI and Football News 2nd Team. He made 22 of 30 field goals on the year and led the team in scoring with 104 points. Capece played a huge part in two massive upsets in the 1980 season by going 9-10 in back to back weeks in wins over #3 Nebraska and #4 Pittsburgh. Bill Capece was elected into the FSU Hall of Fame in 1990. He was drafted in the 12th round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. It would be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he suited up for from 1981-83 playing in 37 games over 3 seasons and making 43 of 70 field goal attempts.
Dick Whittington (54)
Marty Kolbus (65, 66)
Mike Page (68)
Jackie Speer (69)
Gary Loucks (72)
Ron Coppess (73,74)
Wally Woodham (75)
Bill Capece (78, 79, 80)
Bruce Shoemaker (81, 82)
J.P. Connolly (83)
Eric Williams (83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
Eric Mangham (83)
Ben Thompson (84)
Tim Corlew (88)
Charlie Ward (89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
RETIRED (93)