Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said he was pleased with how attentive players have been as the team winds down its pre-bowl camp.
Tuesday was the team's last practice before traveling home to spend time with their families for the holidays. Players will get three days off and return to campus for their Dec. 24 flight to Fort Lauderdale. FSU will then prepare for the Dec. 30 Capital One Orange Bowl showdown against Michigan at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla..
"You always worry about that last day sometimes with guys wanting to get home," Fisher said. "They came out and got their work in and worked their tails off. Had a good practice. Been very pleased for the most part on these last six practices we've had."
Fisher spoke to reporters for close to 10 minutes. He discussed his eight-year contract extension which was announced Monday. Fisher will remain at the school through 2024 and have an option for additional years.
"It just gets it out there for everyone to know," Fisher said. "Again, I love being here. I wanna be here. This a great place. We've built something really special here and I wanna continue it for a long time. I think [FSU President John] Thrasher has been awesome with that and seeing the big picture with everything we're doing. He loves it and understands what we do and understands our importance to this university too."
He was also asked if college football could see an increase in players forgoing bowl games to stay healthy and not risk their NFL Draft statuses. On Monday, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey announced he would skip the Sun Bowl to avoid getting hurt.
The topic has generated discussion both across college and professional football.
"I don't know if it a trend. ... I don't know the circumstances of each guy's situation or why or when or what's going on," Fisher said. "So I don't have an opinion on that. It's hard to make that opinion but you wanna play and everyone has a different situation."
Fisher was asked if he would be surprised if star junior tailback Dalvin Cook said he would not play in the Orange Bowl. Fisher told reporters he would be "shocked" if Cook opted to miss the game.
