Name: Henry Sweat
Year: Junior
Position: President of Garnet and Gold Guides
Name: John Permenter
Year: Junior
Position: Executive Director of PR
Name: DJ Bailey
Year: Senior
Her Campus (HC): What do the Garnet and Gold Guides do for Florida State?
Henry Sweat (HS): The Garnet and Gold Guides are basically game day recruiting hosts for players and families who are perspective athletes here at Florida State. They’ll come here a couple of hours early, we have a meal with them and we take them on facility tours of the training room, locker room and weight room. We take them on the field to watch warm ups, and sit with them during the game and make sure they have a good time.
The guys will go into the locker room after the game to do compliance security for the student athletes making sure that none of them are going to do anything that compromises their eligibility. We also give tours to boosters on Fridays before home games, we participate in Junior Days, which is a recruiting time in January. We work official visits in January and February leading up to national signing day. We also work summer camps, spring practice, other things here and there.
John Permenter (JP): There are two different perspectives of the Garnet and Gold Guides: a guy’s and a girl’s perspective. Guys have a lot of different tasks. Like Henry mentioned, compliance in the locker rooms, because girls aren’t allowed in there we have a little more access to the players and coaches in that regard. In addition, during games we do the field goal nets on the field.
Courtesy: John Permenter
HC: Is there anything people might not know about the Guides?
HS: The recruiting process is very in depth with the relationship between the families. It’s not just saying, “We crank out great football players,” it’s really about, “We’re a family here at Florida State.” So, there are dinners at coaches’ houses that that we get to be a part of and help with, which is a cool perk to get a more personal relationship with coaches and see them outside of work.
As well as just the access around the facilities. Like we said, we get to be in the locker room after the game. We hear Jimbo’s post-game speech. Win or lose, he still has to rally the troops every week and we get to experience that first hand, which is really unique. That’s something I’m going to take with me the rest of my life. Also, being on the sidelines for some of the biggest moments the last few years for Florida State Football has been amazing. I was on Facebook today and I watched a highlight video of Dalvin Cook, and I can remember watching them in person walk right up to me after the play. It’s amazing to have that memory, and be able to look back on my college years and know that I was able to do that with my time.
JP: Another cool aspect of the Guides is that the football organization really is a family. The Garnet and Gold Guides are sometimes seen as the face of FSU. Whereas Jimbo might be the face of football, we’re the face of being an actual student here. We’re usually the first students that the recruits get to talk to and get to ask, “What is there to do in Tallahassee? What’s the weather like?” and things like that. So, it’s up to us to be the initial contact that’s a positive vibe for them.
HS: It’s basically University Ambassadors meets football. We’re the face that talks to the families and tells them not how their son can be successful on the field, which is pretty apparent, but more how their son can be successful off the field – in the classroom, getting involved on campus, becoming a business professional. Most of these kids aren’t going to be professional athletes, that’s just the fact of the matter. A lot of them are concerned with what their career path looks like, getting into something they’re interested in, and making sure they’re well off. They realize the opportunity they have. They’re going to school for free, they need to make the most of it because football is a very small part of their future. Their career is really important.
Courtesy: Instagram
HC: What is the application process for the Garnet and Gold Guides like?
JP: You submit an application by a deadline, then from that application you are selected for a tea, which is an opportunity to mingle. What that entails is, in a room in the university, the applicants go around to stations that are set up which are meant to promote their conversation abilities. There is a Q&A section. There is a section where they might have to act out a scenario. This is for us to gauge how they respond in front of strangers. Really, that’s all the organization is – how personable you are, how well you can talk to people you don’t know and articulate things that you might not know much about but being able to bounce off their ideas and keep on going. It’s a test to see how well you can do the actual job. Then from the tea, you may or may not be selected to have an interview. Then, after the interview, you’ll be told either yes or no.
DJ Bailey (DB): To go along with that, there’s one thing we all have in common: we can all talk. We look for people who can keep a conversation going. That’s a big part of what we do. Some recruits are quiet and very to themselves and they might not open up a lot, which is totally fine, but we’re there to talk to them and their families, and give them a lasting impression of Florida State.
Courtesy: Instagram
HC: Is there anything we didn’t touch on that you guys wanted to talk about?
DB: There are a lot of us, so sometimes it can be easy for people to fade into the background and not do much with the organization. But we do a good job of trying to get everybody involved and making sure that we are all one unit. So, every fall we go on a retreat to make sure that we bond with each other and get to know one another. I think one thing that we’re constantly trying to do is make sure that everybody is engaged and that we are a family, just like Florida State football is a family. That’s definitely one great thing about this organization.