How much will the Noles miss Lonnie Pryor at fullback this season? According to Lonnie himself, not that much.
As Pryor gives his all to win a roster spot on the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chad Abram steps into Lonnie's shoes at his old position. And while Nole fans know the name, they don't know what to expect from the senior from Lakeland.
But in Part Two of our exclusive conversation with Pryor, he offers a reassuring viewpoint on that new face in FSU's backfield.
You were there during Bobby Bowden's last year, then played for Jimbo Fisher for three years. What was that transition like?
PRYOR: "It wasn't too much of a big change. Jimbo did a lot of things different off the field. One was to change the way we were in the locker room. When Bobby was there it was like all the running backs together, all the quarterbacks together, etc. Jimbo changed it so it was all mixed around. He came up with the Unity Council where Jimbo picked about ten players he could trust to run the team and different things like that. But they were little changes, nothing too big."
Tell FSU fans what to expect from Chad Abram, the guy who'll be taking your place at fullback.
PRYOR: "You can expect a lot of good things. Chad was five times stronger than me. Chad lifts more than me, he squats more than me. He's a more powerful guy than me. He's just as quick as me, and he's faster than me, so I'm pretty sure Jimbo's going to use him the same way. He has excellent hands -- I wear gloves and he doesn't wear gloves. That's a big difference between us. So they're not going to lose anything. It'll look like I'm still there. He (Chad) is going to go in there and move guys and do whatever he has to do at the fullback position. You know, getting him in the flats, and him getting the ball in short yardage because he's a big, strong physical guy. But when it comes to blocking, he'll do an excellent job at that too."
But you had good speed too -- deceptive speed. I don't think opponents expected a fullback to be that fast.
PRYOR: "I was by far the smallest fullback there. I was only 228, and most fullbacks are 235 to 240 and up. And they're mostly there for blocking. But I guess I'm more of a tweener, since I could also play running back. So when I did get the ball in the flats or get in the open, I guess I did have more kick than most fullbacks would have."
Now that you're a pro, will you try and mentor FSU players and stay connected to the program?
PRYOR: "For sure. I still keep in touch with my nephew, James Wilder -- that's what I call him and Freeman. Those are the main two I stay in contact with and making sure those boys are okay. So, yeah, I'll be back and forth to games. Actually I was in Tallahassee this past weekend seeing some of the boys. Tallahassee will always be my second home. And whatever the coaches need or need me to be, I'm always going to be there for them."
Finally, what's the mood of the players you talk to about the 2013 season, what with all the coaching changes?
PRYOR: "I think the players are excited. Same thing as when I was there and we got a whole new coaching staff. I know a lot of the defensive guys are liking the new defensive coaches. So, yeah, everyone's excited. With the new coaches it's like starting all over again."
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