FSU's Derek Nicholson

Hi everyone, I’m Derek Nicholson. I played inside linebacker at Florida State University the past four years, and I’m currently training at All-Star Sports in Paisley, Florida, in eager anticipation of FSU’s Pro Day on March 15th.

Over the next several weeks, I’m looking forward to keeping you up to date on my training progress. Before we get started, though, here’s a little more background on my high school and college career.

I graduated from Mt.Tabor H.S. in Winston-Salem, N.C. in 2005. I was a second team USA Today HS All-American, and played for the east squad in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, where I led the team in tackles.

Moving on to FSU, I played in all 13 games for the Seminoles as a true freshman, including our ACC Championship victory over Virginia Tech and in the Orange Bowl against Penn State. I also led all first year players with 21 tackles. As a sophomore, I only got to play in five games before tearing my ACL. As a junior, I started all 13 games and led the team with 99 tackles. This past year, I started all 13 games, led the team with 81 tackles, and returned a fumble for a touchdown in my last game as a Semonole–a 42-13 victory over Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl!

All that is in the past now, as I focus on doing my best when the pro scouts visit Tallahassee in March. Between now and then, I’m working with Todd Robinett, All-Star Sports’ Director of Sports Performance, to improve my agility and 40-yard dash times specifically, while I also try to become a little leaner. Of course, I’d like to improve on everything I work on, but I think the agility and 40-yard dash tests are particularly important for linebackers seeking a high draft position.

Check back regularly as Todd and I update what we’re working on here in Paisley. And, thanks for reading!