TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The Florida State football team picked up a much needed victory Saturday night with their 34-14 thumping of Virginia Tech, but Saturday was way bigger than football.
Ethan Pritchard, a football player who was shot in the head, made his return to Tallahassee this week — serving as an inspiration to his teammates and this fan base alike.
“Seeing him lead us in the Legacy Walk today into the stadium, being in the locker room after the game, just the time with this team, it means so much to us,” said head coach Mike Norvell. “Yesterday, at the end of practice, I asked him if he had anything to say. It was two words: ‘Go win.’”
Ethan Pritchard on the field after the game, congratulating his teammates on the 34-14 win over Virginia Tech.
It is so much more than football man. This is the good stuff. pic.twitter.com/Qpfg9yAbtR
— Alison Posey (@AlisonPosey14) November 16, 2025
That was a request the Seminoles delivered on, as Pritchard continues his recovery after being shot in the head in a case of mistaken identity in August.
“To know what he had gone through, especially over these past two and a half, three months, seeing his progress, seeing him smiling, talking, laughing, it’s truly nothing short of a miracle,” said wide receiver Duce Robinson.
“It was a very emotional day for us, just to be able to see him yesterday and him show up at the game and be there able to support and be there with us,” added quarterback Tommy Castellanos. “It meant a lot to us that we were there, and I think we did that for him.”
Pritchard was discharged from a rehab facility last week.
“Most of the time I’m Facetiming him, he’s in the middle of a workout,” Norvell said. “He’s got sweat going, and he says, ‘Coach, they’re pushing me!’ I said, ‘Sorry, buddy. You’re built for it!’”
Now his goal of returning to the football field continues.
“If you need inspiration, if you need motivation, you want to understand how to go about doing things in life?” said Norvell. “Watch him. I know where he’s going, and I know what he’s going to be able to accomplish.”
Florida State faces NC State on Friday night. Kickoff is at 8:00 p.m. in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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