It’s minutes before kickoff at Doak Campbell Stadium, and all eyes are on Chief Osceola and Renegade.
With Florida State’s famous war chant echoing from the bleachers and Seminoles players holding their helmets high, Chief Osceola directs Renegade toward midfield while carrying a flaming spear. Renegade, a speckled Appaloosa horse, pauses on the Seminoles logo and rears its front legs, positioning Osceola to thrust the 8-foot, garnet-and-gold-feathered spear into the ground.
The crowd erupts into a frenzy as Osceola and Renegade gallop off the field and into a tunnel.
The iconic scene has played out flawlessly — with approval from the Seminole Tribe of Florida — hundreds of times over nearly five decades. It’s must-see theater at FSU home games and one of college football’s grandest traditions.
“I don’t really know what it all means, but when I see it, it’s on,” said former FSU cornerback Jarrian Jones, now playing for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. “It tells everybody it’s time to go to war.”
The pregame spectacle started as the brainchild of FSU student Bill Durham in the mid-1960s. Durham was a member of the school’s homecoming committee and wanted to incorporate Native American traditions into the annual festivities. He conceptualized the horse and rider idea, which university officials denied repeatedly.
A decade later, Durham shared his vision with new FSU coach Bobby Bowden, who was looking for a flashy opening for home games. Bowden and his wife Ann loved the idea and gave Durham the green light to bring it to life.
Durham reached out to the Seminole Tribe of Florida for permission and to refine the ritual, regalia and war paint. The names Osceola and Renegade were chosen to honor the tribe; Osceola is its most famous war leader, and Renegade is derived from the Spanish word for Seminole, “cimarrón,” which means runaways or renegades.
Durham and tribe leaders agreed they would use students as riders, who go through a lengthy interview process that includes being evaluated for their horseback skills. The chosen ones agree to apprenticeships before they’re allowed to ride in games.
“I may be biased, but this is probably one of, if not the greatest, tradition in college football,” said Lincoln Golike, who served as Chief Osceola for four years (2000-04). “And not just because it represents FSU, but because it represents the Seminole Tribe as well. It goes deeper than college football tradition. It goes deeper than just college football. The roots run deep.”
The Durham Family handles most of the responsibility for keeping the tradition alive. The family provides the horses and maintains the relationship with the Seminole Tribe. Durham oversaw the ritual until 2002 and then passed the torch to his son, Allen Durham, who served as Chief Osceola from 1992 to 1994.
Osceola and Renegade made their first appearance at Doak Campbell Stadium on Sept. 16, 1978. The duo has been a staple in Tallahassee since.
FSU added its war chant in 1984. Most agree the chant originated from the fraternity section, but fans later added the hand motion to symbolize the brandishing of a tomahawk. It didn’t take long to become a stadium-wide phenomenon.
While there have been efforts to ban the use of Native American nicknames and mascots for decades, the traditions at Florida State remain. That’s because the Seminole Tribe of Florida counts itself among the biggest fans of Florida State, its nickname and all it represents. The university refuses to call the horse and rider mascots, choosing instead to call them symbols of the Seminole that represent the school’s sports teams.
In 2005, the NCAA voted to ban schools that used “hostile and abusive” logos from the postseason. Florida State gained an exemption in part because of its unique relationship with the Seminole Tribe.
Osceola and Renegade are now closing in on 50 years of tradition and 300 spear plantings. The first student to portray Osceola was Jim Kidder. Since then, six Renegades and 17 riders have taken part.
“There’s a bond between Osceola and Renegade,” said Golike, who would practice as many as five days a week for four hours a day. “You don’t just show up to the game. As an equestrian, you learn the horse, and each Renegade has his own personality and own disposition.
“It’s a lot of work, a lot of effort, a lot of energy and a lot of payoff.”
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