FSU strength and conditioning coach Josh Storms impressed by newcomers' first Tour of Duty
Florida State football's annual Tour of Duty focuses on conquering the offseason.
FSU strength and conditioning coach Josh Storms directs the Seminoles' preseason workouts. Incoming players are well aware of the intense sessions, which started in January, hearing about them during their recruiting process.
Storms tells the newcomers what they see is what they get.
"There are really no secrets. Most of those guys, even on the recruiting visit here, hear about tour of duty from the existing players. So they kind of have an idea of knowing what they're getting themselves into before they ever go out there," Storms said.
"There's a lot of talk about it. It's a lot of things that are just passed down through the locker room for guys who've been through it and whatnot, and then we do a good job the week leading up to it."
How the incoming players are handling Tour of Duty
FSU's 31 new players have embraced their first Tour of Duty experience.
Storms likes the progress he has seen from the newcomers. Those he mentioned included transfer offensive linemen Adrian Medley and Micah Pettus and freshman defensive backs Shamar Arnoux and Max Redmon.
"This is a very exciting young group, from the early and rolly high school guys to the guys that transferred in an absolutely tremendous group of kids we brought in from," Storms said.
Arnoux said the workouts test players mentally and physically.
“I feel like it helps us bring this mental strain. It's just like getting into — I'm going to compare it to getting into a cold bath. As soon as you get into it, it's like, okay, you got to catch your breath," Arnoux said.
"With Tour of Duty, it allows you to fight as a team even through hard times.”
Then there's new quarterback Thomas Castellanos.
Storms have been impressed by Castellanos's leadership and immediate impact on the team since he transferred from Boston College.
"That guy's been phenomenal, "Storms said.
"From the time in recruiting, visit to committing to immediately post that the help of communicating with other guys he's a guy when he got here his first few weeks had a goal of like ‘I want to be able to spend one-on-one time with being in the building, out of the building with every single guy on the roster. So, coming in the way, he built relationships with a great personality and huge energy.
"That's infectious. Guys are drawn to that. Guys feed off that, and so I think he's what he's done has really been a master class and how you come in as a new guy somewhere and ingratiate yourself to your teammates and then help share to make those guys better and slowly build that to like putting yourself in position to be that leader and being able to do that because of the relationship you've built leading up to when those points."
Castellanos quickly adjusted to the workouts' demands.
"Definitely something that I've never been a part of or never done,” Castellanos said.
“Everybody around the country does summer workouts and mat drills and stuff like that. The amount of discipline and strain and just like detailed and little things that they require out of you during that process of training is definitely tough because they try to demand and try to get the best out of you and to see how you can focus and lock in on the little things when you're tired and when you are gassed. It's been different, for sure. I never did anything like it, but it's definitely helping us be better and get better and get in shape, stuff like that, and get us ready for the fall.”
Josh Storms praises Darrell Jackson Jr. for his leadership
Tour of Duty is more than just necessary workouts in preparation for the start of spring practice Wednesday, March 19. It is also a chance for new players to get to know returning players while coaches also identify new leaders.
One returning who has stood out throughout the offseason has been defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr.
Jackson is on a mission. After withdrawing from this year's NFL Draft, Jackson focused on improving himself as he enters his final year of eligibility. Storms saw Jackson's will to make himself and the team better by stepping up as a vocal leader.
"It's not so much different than the last few years. It's a different level of ownership going into this year," Storms said.
"I mean, he came back here with a specific purpose of where he wants to go next year and came back knowing what it's going to take to not just, ‘Hey, I'm going to just come back and do another year and see what happens.’ That's a guy that came back on a mission to improve himself, to put himself where he believes he can be, where we believe he can be next year when the draft comes around, and so you see Darrell, he's always been a hard worker right, but you'll see you see more now of him pouring into other guys can become more of a vocal leader than what he's been in the past."
Last season, Jackson recorded 32 tackles, four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He earned All-ACC Honorable Mentioned.
The concept of the Turquoise jersey
FSU football put its turquoise jersey into good use during Tour of Duty.
Storms would use these alternative blue-colored jerseys as a reward for having the highest grade for their workout performance. It is also given to the players who were the best leaders on that day.
In a highlighted video posted by FSU, Jackson, quarterback Brock Glenn and defensive back Edwin Joseph were seen wearing turquoise jerseys while doing their offseason workouts inside FSU's practice facility.
Every one of us must eventually face the storm and come through it changed@TMHFORLIFE#NoleFamily | #KeepCLIMBingpic.twitter.com/y2VN1wZ04z
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) March 5, 2025
"You have to be a guy who isn't just doing a great job yourself. It might help make you better and might help make them better by being a leader," Storms said. "That's kind of the final step it takes to be able to get that. You can have a perfect day workwise, but if you didn't do those things, then you're not that turquoise jersey guy."
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: How Tour of Duty helped prepare FSU football for spring practice
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