The remembrance of good times rolled through Seville Quarter’s Heritage Hall as Jordan Travis captivated a sold out gathering of Florida State Seminoles’ supporters.
So much has changed, of course.
Both with FSU football fortunes and in Travis’ life since the former star quarterback sustained a career-devastating leg injury on November 18, 2023, as the Seminoles barreled toward an undefeated regular season.
“Obviously, I thought the NFL was my dream and my future and things changed really quickly,” said Travis, prior to joining the stage on Thursday Aug. 13 at the annual Greater Pensacola Seminole Club Kickoff Party, alongside Jeff Culhane, now in his fifth year as voice of the Seminoles, and Gene Deckerhoff the retired broadcasting legend, who held that role for 43 years.
Together, they shared stories, told jokes, answered questions and brought hope in a unique setting that was different than so many preseason booster gatherings.
In July, Travis officially joined Seminoles Boosters in a lead role to help launch Seminoles United, a separate component of the organization designed to expand connection to FSU supporters in a variety of ways.
One of those ways is speaking to FSU booster clubs throughout the state. It was Travis’ first time in Pensacola.
“I had no idea what I was going to end up doing,” said Travis, 26, a West Palm Beach native, whose final season at FSU produced record-setting results. “But this opportunity came up, they (FSU Boosters) created this position and it’s been a dream."
Before a standing-room-only gathering, Travis helped answer questions from the crowd about a variety of topics.
It was a feel-good night for local FSU supporters, who reacted with standing ovations when each of the three men were announced to the stage.
The program ended on this night with Travis planning a spear into a bullseye on stage.
Travis related that it has rekindled the rush of nervous adrenaline he felt before games. He was reminded of what FSU coach Mike Norvell often told the team that it’s essential “to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
“If there is not anything uncomfortable, then there is not a lot of growth,” said Travis, who grew into becoming one of the best quarterbacks in FSU history. He holds the team’s all-time records for touchdowns, total offense, and is the only quarterback in the program’s decorated history with more than 50 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing touchdowns
“So, going up on stage is uncomfortable for me,” he said. “It’s not something I do naturally. But it’s like in football when there were days I was down and I threw interceptions and it didn’t feel good.
“Having myself in that situation again, just getting up on stage going through it, and it feels so good. It feels like I am in a game again, so that is good.”
Travis signed autographs for more than an hour before the program began. He met everyone with a smile and connected with greetings.
Travis was chosen by the New York Jets in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, while he was still trying to recover from the serious leg injury suffered in the second half of the second-to-last game of the 2023 regular season.
He never played for the Jets. In April 2025, he announced his retirement from football and it led to the opportunity that he now has with the FSU athletic program.
“He has become such a key part of our Seminole Booster family,” said Culhane, who made his third visit to Pensacola to address a preseason event. “Seminoles United is a new platform.
“It’s new app that is content creation for our fans and designed to unite all Seminoles. And tell success stories that are going on with FSU athletics.
“Jordan is the perfect person to be that face and that voice right now,” Culhane said. “What an unbelievable football player, but when you listen to him speak (at these events), you begin to understand the person that he is.
“He is just such a genuine, kind and caring individual. And you see why the teams he was on rallied behind him and brought us some of the greatest memories of Mike Norvell era.”
Travis said his role in meeting so many new faces provides an opportunity to directly impact FSU fans.
“My job is really cool,” Travis said. “It is about community. It is about being loved. We all have the same goal to love on Florida State. My job is to make people who are Seminoles fans across the nation all feel like they are part of it.”
The FSU gathering Aug. 13 was part of several connections in Pensacola. The famed “Graffiti Bridge” was painted to welcome FSU supporters prior to the event.
The FSU vs. Auburn “Fall Ball” baseball scrimmage sold out of seats in less than 36 hours after going on sale Aug. 11. The game is set for October 10 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
That same day, the FSU men’s basketball team will face Mississippi State in a preseason game at the Pensacola Bay Center. And on Nov. 29, the FSU women’s basketball team will play UWF in the Argos first season as an NCAA Division I member.
“I love coming here. Pensacola Beach is beautiful, it’s paradise,” Culhane said. “I know there are different (college) brands that plant their flag here, but to me, Pensacola is a Seminole town.”
Bill Vilona is a retired Pensacola News Journal sports columnist and now senior writer for Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He can be reached at bvilona@bluewahoos.com
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Former FSU QB Jordan Travis shines in new role at Pensacola booster event