We continue our Seminole Madness tournament in the Defensive Playmakers bracket. You get one vote in the poll above that will stay open for 24 hours. You can also vote on Warchant's Twitter account (subscribers get two votes).
* Note: Whoever makes the best argument for a player will win a $25 eCard to Garnet & Gold (one winner per day). First nine winners - Noleway85, BoNoles, JayColle, PlanoNole2, fsubuck, dougadee68, snapper-zapper, Noleway85, warchant99
Here are the bios for this matchup:
No. 5 seed Leroy Butler vs. No. 12 seed Sam Cowart
Leroy Butler will go down as one of the most versatile and productive defensive backs in Florida State history. The Jacksonville product emerged as a standout free safety for the Seminoles as a sophomore and junior before moving to cornerback as a senior in 1989 following Deion Sanders' departure. Butler intercepted seven passes that season and was named a Consensus All-American. His 87-yard interception return against Syracuse in 1989 remains one of the longest in school history, and he was a key figure in arguably the most famous play of the Bobby Bowden era -- the puntrooskie. Butler ran for 78 yards on that fake punt at Clemson and helped the Seminoles pull off a 24-21 victory. He went on to make several Pro Bowl appearances with the Green Bay Packers and was tabbed for the NFL's All-Decade Team.
Sam Cowart also came to FSU from Jacksonville and was one of the Seminoles' top defensive standouts during the Dynasty Era. After recording 31 tackles as a freshman reserve on the 1993 national championship team, Cowart became a force as a sophomore in '94, racking up 76 stops. But it was the next season that saw Cowart emerge on the national scene. He registered 115 tackles that season and capped it off with a memorable performance against rival Florida (13 tackles, 3 sacks). After missing all of 1996 with a knee injury, Cowart came back even stronger in '97 and earned consensus All-America honors. He recorded 116 tackles, four sacks and won the ACC's Brian Piccolo Award as he league's "most courageous player." Cowart ranks 15th on FSU's all-time tackles list with 338.
* Note: Whoever makes the best argument for a player will win a $25 eCard to Garnet & Gold (one winner per day). First nine winners - Noleway85, BoNoles, JayColle, PlanoNole2, fsubuck, dougadee68, snapper-zapper, Noleway85, warchant99
Here are the bios for this matchup:
No. 5 seed Leroy Butler vs. No. 12 seed Sam Cowart
Leroy Butler will go down as one of the most versatile and productive defensive backs in Florida State history. The Jacksonville product emerged as a standout free safety for the Seminoles as a sophomore and junior before moving to cornerback as a senior in 1989 following Deion Sanders' departure. Butler intercepted seven passes that season and was named a Consensus All-American. His 87-yard interception return against Syracuse in 1989 remains one of the longest in school history, and he was a key figure in arguably the most famous play of the Bobby Bowden era -- the puntrooskie. Butler ran for 78 yards on that fake punt at Clemson and helped the Seminoles pull off a 24-21 victory. He went on to make several Pro Bowl appearances with the Green Bay Packers and was tabbed for the NFL's All-Decade Team.
Sam Cowart also came to FSU from Jacksonville and was one of the Seminoles' top defensive standouts during the Dynasty Era. After recording 31 tackles as a freshman reserve on the 1993 national championship team, Cowart became a force as a sophomore in '94, racking up 76 stops. But it was the next season that saw Cowart emerge on the national scene. He registered 115 tackles that season and capped it off with a memorable performance against rival Florida (13 tackles, 3 sacks). After missing all of 1996 with a knee injury, Cowart came back even stronger in '97 and earned consensus All-America honors. He recorded 116 tackles, four sacks and won the ACC's Brian Piccolo Award as he league's "most courageous player." Cowart ranks 15th on FSU's all-time tackles list with 338.
