Florida State Football Sod Cemetery

The Florida State Football Sod Cemetery is a symbolic monument that memorializes a longstanding college football tradition that dates back to 1962. It features over 100 bronze plaques, each commemorating a "sod game." Sod games represent the Seminoles' greatest victories away from the team's home in Tallahassee. Interred beneath each bronze plaque is a piece of sod—a fragment from the field—that is ceremoniously extracted from the stadiums where the Seminoles claimed victory.

In the summer of 2013, Florida State built new practice fields, and the cemetery was moved to its current location. Situated 200 feet north of Doak Campbell Stadium (Gate M) and just outside the entrance to the Al Dunlap Seminole Practice Fields, the Sod Cemetery draws thousands of spectators on game days. Inside its gates, the plaques chronicle the evolution of a program that originated as an underdog and ascended to powerhouse status. Each marker represents a day when the Seminoles went on the road and prevailed, be it as the underdogs, during fierce rivalries, or significant championship matches. Through this lens, one can trace the program's highs and lows—from seasons with few sod games due to being favored, to downturns when the Seminoles were underdogs. It stands as a reminder of the Seminoles’ most iconic road triumphs, resonating with players, coaches, and visitors who pass by.

Sod games are traditionally designated as away games that meet the following criteria:

1. Florida State plays as the underdog, against a higher-ranked opponent.
2. The game is a road game against the University of Florida, denoting what is perhaps Florida State's fiercest rivalry.
3. The game is a championship match up, such as the ACC Championship or a National Championship.
4. The game is a post-regular season bowl game.
5. The game is designated a sod game by Florida State's head coach.

Initially, the criteria for a sod game centered around the Seminoles securing victories in matches where they were not expected to win. However, as the team became more successful, the tradition's parameters expanded.^[1] By the early 1980s, the ritual saw a notable inclusion: all bowl games started being treated as sod games. This was evident from their victories, starting with the Gator Bowl in 1982, proceeding with other significant bowl wins in subsequent years.

As the tradition has evolved, exceptions have been made for landmark road wins that do not meet the first four criteria. For example, on September 28, 2023, the hosts at Warchant TV, a popular YouTube channel focused on Florida State sports, discussed this topic following the 2023 season win over Clemson at Memorial Stadium.^[2] A source, reportedly close to the program, stated that the number one rule is that the head coach has the final say on whether a game is a sod game, even if it does not strictly meet the established criteria. This can happen in situations in which Florida State is a slight favorite, but it is still a big game.

One such occasion arose for the September 23, 2023 rivalry matchup between Florida State and the Clemson Tigers. Florida State, though a 2-point favorite, faced a daunting task; they had not won at Clemson since 2013, and Clemson had maintained an uninterrupted winning streak against them since 2015, seizing the ACC Champions title in all but one season from 2015 to 2022. The tension was amplified by the conspicuously antagonistic environment orchestrated by Clemson who reduced the opponent ticket allotment from 1500 to 500. This forced Florida State play into Death Valley without their band, the Marching Chiefs.^[3] This ostensibly helped Clemson secure a stronger home advantage. In another unexpected move the week of the match up, Clemson enlisted a former walk-on kicker to help rectify their kicking woes. The decision was met with scrutiny but illustrated the extent Clemson was willing to go to secure victory.

Despite the intensified atmosphere and Clemson's strategic machinations, Florida State managed to snap its seven-game losing streak, securing a 31–24 victory in overtime—marking the team's first-ever road win in overtime in school history. Team captains Jordan Travis and Keon Colman took a keepsake of sod from Frank Howard Field to commemorate the victory.^[4]

In summary, while it is crucial to adhere to the established criteria for designating sod games, the head coach reserves the final say, allowing for flexibility in circumstances such landmark road wins no matter who is favored. This subtle evolution is also discernible in the team's dynamic approach to traditions, with adapted practices like the “Breaking the Rock” tradition, brought forward and modified by Head Coach Mike Norvell and Director of Strength and Conditioning Josh Storms,^[5] gaining prominence and significance among the players.

The Florida State Sod Cemetery has its roots embedded in a 1962 match against the fifth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. In a simple but impactful gesture, Dean Coyle Moore, a sociology professor and a member of Florida State's athletic board,^[6] spurred a tradition that has encapsulated the university's journey in college football. Moore, who helped field Florida State's first football team in 1947 with President Doak Campbell,^[7] was seen as a mentor to many of the players and would often give pep talks to the team. From 1905 until 1947, Florida State had been a women's college, and Moore wanted to instill a scrappy mentality in the program.^[8]

Ahead of the matchup as the Seminoles completed their Thursday practice, Moore gave an encouraging speech, ending it with a charge: “win, and bring back some sod from between the hedges at Georgia.” On Saturday, October 20, 1962, five days into the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Seminoles beat the odds and emerged victorious with an 18–0 win. Team captains Gene McDowell and Red Dawson honored Moore's directive, bringing a piece of sod back to Tallahassee in a paper Coca-Cola cup.^[9] “We got a piece of sod and took it back to Tallahassee,” McDowell said. “Red had it in his pocket or something.”^[10] The sod was presented to Moore at the next football practice.

The sod was kept on a mantle in Moore's home parlor until his wife, Mabee Boysworth Moore, told him to remove it.^[8] Moore and head coach Bill Peterson had the sod buried on the practice field as a symbol of victory. A monument was placed to commemorate the triumph, marking the genesis of the Sod Cemetery.^[11][12] It has since been the final resting place for pieces of turf from significant road wins and bowl games, each plot a testament to the Seminoles’ enduring spirit and tenacity. The cemetery holds the pieces of sod from games played at renowned stadiums like the Gator Bowl, Ohio Stadium, and Notre Dame Stadium.

Bobby Bowden, who served as an assistant from 1963 and the head coach from 1976 to 2009, had an influential role in contributing to the legacy of the Sod Cemetery. Under his leadership, the Seminoles contributed many patches of sod to the cemetery. Bowden's tenure was punctuated with light-hearted anecdotes and candid expressions reflecting his embrace of the sod tradition.^[10]

Bowden humorously remarked about the challenges the tradition posed when games were played on AstroTurf, a surface in many stadiums during his tenure, saying, “It got to be a problem when we played on AstroTurf. I mean, you’ve got to have a big pair of scissors, boy! And I’m not sure they liked it.” This was in reference to a game after the 1988 season when the team played and won at the Sugar Bowl against Auburn. Odell Haggins, then a defensive lineman, now a longtime Florida State assistant coach, cut out a piece of the Superdome turf, leading to a $500 bill for Florida State. Learning from this experience, the next time the Seminoles played in the Sugar Bowl, officials presented them with a precut sample of the carpet, preventing further turf-cutting escapades.^[10]

Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward and Matt Frier, both former players for Florida State, vividly illustrate the profound sense of pride and accomplishment intrinsic to the Sod Cemetery tradition. Ward, who once helmed the team as the Seminoles quarterback, distinctly recalls the bolstered sense of resolve that enveloped the players during sod games. He emphasized the unparalleled significance of these games, saying, “You took pride in knowing you were on the road, and you were supposed to lose.” This statement highlights the extra layer of motivation and the substantial challenges the tradition brought to the players, fostering a unique bond among them.^[10]

Frier's experience adds another layer to the multifaceted tradition of the Sod Cemetery. As a receiver for the Seminoles, he epitomized the jubilation and victorious spirit of the tradition during the national championship win in the 1993 season. Following the monumental victory, he walked to the 50-yard line at the Orange Bowl and scooped up a piece of the field with his hands — “Down on the ground,” he said, “like a kid making a sand castle.” This expressive moment saw Frier raised on the shoulders of his teammates, encapsulated on the cover of Sports Illustrated, a piece of sod triumphantly clutched in his hand. Frier holds this memory dear, maintaining a copy of the magazine in his office, a constant reminder of a pivotal moment in his life and the history of Florida State football. For him, this wasn't just a personal victory—it symbolized a communal achievement and was indicative of Coach Bowden's inaugural national title. Frier mused, “It was the definition of a sod game.”^[10]

As a result of an NCAA ruling in 2010, Florida State had to vacate victories across multiple sports due to an academic fraud scandal during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.^[13] This encompassed a range of games, including one significant sod game win from 2006: the 44-27 Emerald Bowl victory over UCLA.

In 2021, a bronze plaque was added to the cemetery's brick column beneath the main historic plaque; the new plaque reads: “During the seasons of 1976-2009, Coach Bobby Bowden and his teams won 63 Sod Victories.”

In 1988, Dean Coyle Moore, the initial keeper of the Sod Cemetery, entrusted Tallahassee attorney Douglas Mannheimer with the stewardship of the tradition, requesting him to succeed as the caretaker and proposing that his son, Andrew, eventually inherit the role. Mannheimer's role in preserving the tradition of the Sod Cemetery is extensive and multifaceted. Not only does he oversee the physical upkeep of the cemetery, ensuring that each piece of sod and its corresponding marker are well-maintained, but he also serves as an ambassador of this unique tradition to the broader community, and especially to the new generations of Seminoles' football players. Every year, Mannheimer addresses the entire football team, explaining the origins, significance, and continuing importance of the sod tradition, instilling in new players a sense of pride and respect for the legacy they inherit.^[10]

Mannheimer's commitment to the tradition extends to instructing the team captains on the appropriate methods to remove the sod from the fields, detailing how to look for divots and use hands or scissors to remove a small square of sod. By doing so, he ensures that the tradition is carried out with respect and diligence, honoring the past victories and the players who achieved them. Mannheimer's dedication to the Sod Cemetery also involves coordination with various university entities and stakeholders. He liaises with groups like the Extra Points Club and university staff to ensure that the maintenance of the cemetery is performed to the highest standards. His role is crucial in maintaining the vitality of this tradition, fostering a sense of continuity and shared history among Florida State University players, alumni, and fans.^[10]

Integral to the continued beauty and reverence of the Sod Cemetery is Douglas Mannheimer's wife, Cricket. A proud FSU graduate and ballet instructor, Cricket has, for nearly three decades, been responsible for the vibrant flower arrangements that grace the Sod Cemetery, particularly on game days. These floral displays add an aesthetic dimension to the cemetery and infuse it with a sense of life and vitality that resonates with the spirit of the tradition. Douglas Mannheimer often emphasizes his wife's indispensable role in this tradition, stating, "Cricket has done our SodTalk and Sod Cemetery flowers for nearly 30 years now. She enjoys Florida State, but she mainly does it just to help me. Cricket has helped the Sod Cemetery become a beautiful place on game day, and it’s all her hands and her efforts."^[14] Her dedication and efforts, just like those of her husband, are invaluable to perpetuating and elevating this unique Seminoles’ tradition.

The significance of the tradition and the stewardship of those like Mannheimer and his wife has not gone unnoticed. Douglas Mannheimer was inducted into the FSU Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions. He reflected on this experience, “That was a phenomenal honor... I’m a fan who has lived in Tallahassee and a fan who Dean Coyle Moore asked to carry on a tradition." Douglas Mannheimer's induction into the Hall of Fame is a testament to his dedication and the broader importance of the Sod Cemetery in the tapestry of Florida State University traditions.^[14]

If an upcoming match-up is deemed a sod game, the Florida State head coach will alert Mannheimer and choose a sod captain on Thursday. Before leaving any of these games, Seminole captains gather their teammates to explain the significance of the tradition. Victorious captains return with a piece of the opponent's turf to be buried in the Sod Cemetery.^{[citation needed]} Mannheimer will usually receive the sod in a plastic bag on Sunday afternoon. It's Mannheimer's job to order a marker from a West Virginia foundry that makes the engraved tombstones, flat on top and extending three feet into the ground. Until it's ready to bury, the dirt is kept in an undisclosed location. Each new addition undergoes a formal burial ceremony accompanied by a speech and moment of silence.^[15] On gamedays, that sod will sometimes be placed in an open casket with sashes and flowers, so fans can pay their respects.^[9]

At the Sod Cemetery, fans and visitors can access an audio history of the sod game tradition with the push a button^[16] or the scan of a QR code. On game days, a longer audio loop with the history, radio calls of great plays, and comments from players are heard at the cemetery during visits. Additionally, color-coordinated flower arrangements adorn the markers, reflecting the hues of the visiting team. For instance, during a home game against the Florida Gators, the graves boasting sod victories from past Florida matches are graced with a blend of blue and orange flowers, while the remainder of the cemetery generally features garnet and gold blooms.^[17]

From 2014 until the pandemic season of 2020, fans gathered at the Sod Cemetery 90 minutes before the kickoff for Sod Talk, where former Seminole players returned to tell the gathered fans about their days at Florida State. Notable participants included Charlie Ward, Warrick Dunn, Derrick Brooks, Marvin Jones, Fred Biletnikoff, Ron Simmons, Ron Sellers, Peter Warrick and Leroy Butler. Since the 2020 season, the live Gameday Sod Talks have been replaced by videos, produced by the university's Seminole Productions.^[8] Notable participants in these presentations have included Bobby Bowden, Ron Sellers, Charlie Ward, Warrick Dunn, Kez McCorvey, Matt Frier, Peter Boulware, Corey Simon and Lemarcus Joyner.

Bowl game victories are colored ██ gold. Championship victories are colored ██ garnet.

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