When FSU fans remember their last national championship win in 2013, an explosive tight end readily appears, raking in those wins every week. Without Nick O’Leary’s relentless blocking and receiving threat, the natty feat would have been only a page out of a fiction book. And yet reliving that ‘fiction’ with his fantasy-like plays was O’Leary. Ask Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, and he would recount it like a horror story.

O’Leary didn’t leave any stone unturned in torching Clemson’s defense, receiving 161 yards on just 5 receptions. And who could forget his famous “trucking” of the Clemson safety, Travis Blanks, running him over after a catch in the third quarter. Clemson had no answer to O’Leary’s brilliance as Dabo Swinney’s team fell (51-14) like a house of cards. More than a decade since that game, FSU has decided to etch his name in gold. But he isn’t alone in taking the accolade.

According to reports, Florida State has decided to induct Nick O’Leary and former defensive end Bjoern Werner in the Seminoles’ 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame class. All the inductees will be recognized on September 26th in FSU’s regular season game against Central Arkansas. Apart from the two inductees in football, the program also added several other players from different sports.

Kassey Kallman (Soccer), Sean Gilmartin (Baseball), Maurice Mitchell (Track), Jace Pardon (Volleyball), and Katrina Young’s (Diving) names have also joined the FSU’s GOAT list. As for watching these GOATs in the flesh, the program will release the tickets for the induction ceremony and “will be available for purchase” through Seminole Boosters, Inc. While fans prepare to see the legends, recalling Bjoern Werner’s contributions to FSU’s 2013 natty is equally important.

Werner’s journey to become one of FSU’s greats is as unique as it can get. He was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1990, and played high school football for only two years. His English had only improved in his senior year, and thus, multiple offers, including Florida State, came his way. But the path to greatness wasn’t guaranteed, and he fought through the FSU roster’s depth, finally appearing in all 14 games as a true freshman in 2010.

“I made a lot of sacrifices,” Bjoern said at the 2013 NFL Combine. “I left my country, my family, my girlfriend, she’s my wife today, just to be here and pursue this dream. Dreaming about this in Germany, watching the combine, and just being here right now, and all my friends watching me right now is just amazing… I knew every NFL star probably when I was 12, 13, or 14. I learned every team, every player in the game, and I always created my little all-star team.”

With time, Bjoern became one of the most standout defensive tackles FSU has ever produced. He became an All-ACC player as a sophomore after his seven-sack and 37-tackle season. Cherry on top? He followed it up with an even more impressive performance in 2012, becoming the ACC’s defensive player of the year. That was the season he totaled 42 tackles, 13 sacks, and established FSU’s defensive foundations as the program notched an 11-win season. Fittingly enough, the Indianapolis Colts picked him at 24th overall.

While players like Bjoern Werner created the foundation for FSU’s ultimate success in 2012, O’Leary upped it a notch in 2013.

O’Leary’s legacy is that of a dominant tight end who gave his all for every single play

In the 2013 season, teams had no answer for O’Leary’s talents. He notched 557 yards, scoring 7 touchdowns, and was a John Mackey Award finalist. But that’s not where O’Leary would stop. In the subsequent season, he notched 618 receptions, setting FSU’s tight end record. As he ended his career with 1,591 yards and scored 18 TDs, he was tied for the 2nd most touchdowns by a TE in ACC history. No wonder he won the John Mackey award, finally. Despite all those accolades, his legacy is still tied to that back-breaking Clemson tackle.

“I’ve always had the mentality of being the more physical guy out there,” O’Leary said about his Clemson tackle. “[On the Clemson play], I knew that one guy wasn’t going to take me down.” While O’Leary’s statement may look fiery, even a bit intimidating, his team’s corner, P.J. Williams, actually described what the Clemson defender went through on his teammate’s tackle.

“You’ve got to know how to hit that person and know how fast and know high or low. Shoot, you see right here [Blanks] really didn’t know,” Williams said. “Guess he didn’t know what he had coming.”

More than a decade since O’Leary’s stellar 2013 season, fans still view him as the program’s greatest tight end. He always had that dominant look to him when he played, and that was one of the reasons why he is remembered so dearly at FSU. His Hall of Fame inclusion will only reiterate that legacy and will etch his name in gold for time immemorial.