Former FSU Football Defensive Lineman Calls Exclusion From CFP a 'Slap In The Face'

Former Florida State defensive lineman Fabien Lovett appeared on WDAE’s (Tampa) “Jay And Z,” a sports talk radio program, and discussed his time in Tallahassee, as well as the program's historic snub from the College Football Playoff (CFP).

Lovett was asked about the emotional rollercoaster that he and his teammates endured from winning the ACC Championship on Dec. 2 to being excluded from the CFP the next day.

The draft hopeful said it was a “slap in the face” to the entire team.

“I was really excited watching [the CFP selection show] and realized we had an opportunity because we were one of the undefeated teams in the country,” said Lovett. “But when everything happened, it was a shocker, like, it was a big heartbreak because we did all this work, we put in all this work. It’s from January to January like our coaches say all the time. So, it was a big slap in the face. But in the end of the day, it was out of our control so we just did what we could.”

Furthermore, Lovett spoke on FSU head coach Mike Norvell’s personality as well as his coaching philosophy of student-athletes and the way they represent themselves on and off the field.

“He’s the same guy every day. You get the same guy every day. He’s the same loud coach, he’s the same coach that’s going to put his best foot forward and make sure you do the things right on and off the field. It’s not just about the things on the field, because if you aren’t living right off the field, you’re not going to play right on the field. That’s what he lives by,” said Lovett.

Lovett finished his collegiate career with six sacks, 93 total tackles, and 14.5 tackles for a loss. Most of his statistics came in his four-year run with the Seminoles from 2020-2023 (5 sacks, 12 TFLs, and 74 total tackles). He played in a total of 47 games, 36 at Florida State.

He is currently training in Clearwater, Florida with Athlete Innovations in preparation for the NFL Combine.