Former Florida State assistant football coach Jim Gladden knows the Valdosta area quite well.
Former FSU assistant football coach Jim Gladden says,
"This is an outstanding football town. I mean for years this has been the football juggernaut of the state of Georgia."
It was his area to recruit when he was a member of Bobby Bowden's staff and last week, he was hitting the trail once again, this time to gain interest in creating a Seminole Club in Valdosta.
Gladden adds,
"You want their support in the stadium in the fall and you would like them to give financial support. You would like to have all of your athletic scholarships in doud like many, many universities throughout this country."
Valdosta has had a spike of Seminole support over the last few years. Current Seminoles Greg Reid, Gerald Demps, and Telvin Smith all played at Lowndes."
FSU football fan Kevin Bruce adds,
"The talent level here in Valdosta and in the high schools and in the surrounding area is excellent. They know that and Jimbo actually made sure that the word got out to put this together because of the recruiting."
Besides providing financial support for the athletic department, the club will serve as a means for the over seven hundred Florida State alumni residing in the Azalea City, to have game watching events during the fall.