Growing up in Key West, I've had a lot of unique experiences. Living in such a small, practically crime-free area allows children to grow up at an abnormally young age. We become rather self-dependent and learned to be ourselves by the time we finished elementary school.
I have many amazing childhood friends, but one of them I am rather proud to say I share with all of my fellow Florida State Seminoles. Frankie Grizzle-Malgrat, better known as Red Lightning, is a perfect example of someone who has always known from a young age that he had a true passion for sports (fun fact: he was awarded most school spirit for senior superlatives). I recently caught up with Frankie and asked him a few questions to better get to know the man behind the fame.
1. What position did you play for your high school football team?
"I played center and guard."
Just from watching one Florida State game we know what Frankie likes to be involved in the game. He runs, he screams, he supports, and most of all he is passionate. Now I happen to know that Big Red's 40 time is a 3.69. I say we put him in, coach!
2. When did you first start to feel the fame/popularity?
"I started to feel the fame after we beat Florida because that's when the highlight video came out."
As if beating Florida isn't enough of a hoo-rah, let's throw in a highlight video of his personal greatest moments on the field. People saw how excited and how much spirit Frankie has for our school and they were inspired by it. That's definitely two wins for the day in my book.
3. Do you hope to pursue a career in the sports field?
"I want to be an equipment manager somewhere."
It's just like the old adage, if you love what you do, than it's not really work. I have a feeling that if Frankie continue's on this path, then he won't "work" a day in his life.
4. How did you go about getting a job as a student equipment manager with the Florida State football program?
"It was simple. I called up the head equipment guy and told him I was interested in joining the staff. And the rest is history."
It's a simple as that: you want something and you make it happen.
5. Tell me anything at all that people don't know about your job.
"That it's long hours and a lot of hard work and not just what they see on game day."
Frankie's passion extends far beyond what we all see on the field. It's so much more than just the hype he brings to the team. He is a constant support system for these men, always there to cheer them on no matter what. He defends the team when they need it, and occasionally you'll see him stand up as one of their unconventional leaders.
Now of course, there are the meme's and the one-liners that we all love to see, but let's not forget about all of the hard work that ALL of our FSU equipment managers put into their jobs (shout-out: you guys rock!) and let's cheer for their success as much as we cheer for our players.
Frankie Grizzle-Malgrat is a man of high spirits, killer sprints and he never stops rooting for our team, nor will we will ever stop rooting for him. He will forever be Red Lightning.
