Growing up in South Florida, the son of a former Miami Hurricane, Quincy Wilson grew up hating Florida State. Three years ago Wilson signed on the dotted line and became a Florida Gator.
There is no love lost on Florida State from the Wilson family when it comes to this weekend.
“I like Doak, it’s probably my favorite stadium. The fans are real hostile, I mean like playing the little chant it gets everybody riled up,” Wilson said. “But it will be a fun atmosphere, it’s a night game. It’s everything we want.”
What about the chop that goes along with that chant?
“I hate it,” he said with a laugh.
The Florida-Florida State rivalry is the most unique rivalry the Gators play. Most the players on both rosters grew up together, played with or against each other in high school or, at the very least, met one another throughout the recruiting process.
Jordan Scarlett ran through a long list of guys he either grew up with or players that he knows on Florida State’s roster, seemingly not wanting to forget anyone.
“It makes (the rivalry) kind of better,” Scarlett said. “I think when you play against your friends, you kind of know your opponent better as far as like just how they play, so it makes the game a lot easier for you.”
There’s also bragging rights on the line. When the clock strikes double zeros around 11:30 pm on Saturday night it will signal 365 days of bragging rights for the winner of the game. The Gators haven’t had those bragging rights in more than 1,400 days. Wilson has spent the past two summers at home, unable to respond to friends and rival fans.
“I have some friends from high school that go there and I can’t really say anything because they beat me both times I’ve played them,” he said. “I definitely need to not go another 365 days without beating FSU”
Wilson’s roots also run deep with two players in particular. FSU start running back Dalvin Cook was an integral part in getting Wilson to Florida. Cook, a one-time Florida commit, spent most of his senior season in high school recruiting Wilson and Ermon Lane to join him at Florida. The three committed to Florida before Cook flipped his commitment during the Under Armour All-American bowl practices and Lane followed Cook on National Signing Day. At the time, Wilson told Gator Country that he felt “betrayed” by Cook but that it was, ultimately, Cook’s decision and he had to do what was best for himself. The two no longer speak.
“I’m pretty sure everyone’s familiar with the people that I’m familiar with over there. A lot of guys from south Florida, a lot of guys that came out when I was recruited,” Wilson said. “A lot of it is bragging rights, also. We just gotta go in there and fight.”
Players like Wilson, Scarlett, Antonio Callaway and the rest of the in-state guys know what this rivalry is all about. They know what is at stake and what this game means for both programs. Kyla Johnson grew up in Dallas, Texas, ignorant to the intricacies of the rivalry and just how much disdain there is on either side of it but he was a quick study.
“I heard about how they talk about each other but I really didn’t understand why,” Johnson, who watched from the sidelines during his redshirt season in 2015, said. “Now I do though so. I understand.”
Florida State’s senior class is 7-0 against Miami and Florida. A win on Saturday would make them the first senior class in Florida State history to go undefeated against its two biggest rivals. 365 days of bragging rights are on the line Saturday and the Gators would love to spoil senior day for the school out West.