Where Have You Gone Peter Warrick??

I remember watching #9(Peter Warrick) make defenses look like they were standing still in his four seasons at Florida State. He was a two time All-American and the front runner for the Heisman Trophy when Dillards Gate shook the Seminole Nation to the core.

Peter Warrick and teammate (current NFL standout) Laveranues Coles were caught in a shoplifting scam at a Tallahassee Dillard’s. Warrick was suspended for two games and Coles was kicked off the team. The suspension and subsequent negative publicity cost Warrick the Heisman Trophy in his senior season when he was the proverbial “Man Amongst Boys”. To this day I remember Warrick running crazy in the 2000 Sugar Bowl with 163 yards receiving (including 2 touchdowns), a 59 yard punt return for a TD, and also a 2 point conversion. He was the type of player that could literally take it to the house any time he touched the ball from anywhere on the field. Who would have thought that it would be his former teammate and fellow Dillard’s conspirator, Laveranues Coles who would go on to have the productive NFL career.

Warrick was drafted 4th overall in the 2001 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and it seemed that his NFL career was off to a good start when he led the team in receptions his first two seasons. In his third season he was replaced as the team’s leading receiver by some guy named Chad Johnson. Warrick still had a respectable showing with 53 catches, 606 yards receiving, and 6 TDs. It seemed that this would be a duo that would frustrate and confound defensive coordinators for many years to come. In 2003, Warrick again had a solid season and seemed well on his way to achieving all the promise that he displayed while shredding Defenses at FSU. Then it happened…..he was injured and missed the bulk of the ’04 season allowing little known seventh round draft pick TJ Houshmandzadeh (championship!) to take over as the teams #2 receiver, and the rest as they say is history. Warrick was released before the start of the 2005 season and signed with the Seattle Seahawks.

Seattle was not the redemption that PW was looking for. He did not make an impact as a WR but he did serve as the teams punt returner in their run to the Super Bowl. Warrick was released before the start of the 2006 season and has not played significant football since. He has worked out for numerous teams and has also had stints in the Arena and Canadian Leagues. His most recent transaction was being signed by the Bloomington Extreme of the Indoor Football League in 2009. It seems like it was so long ago when he was in the garnet and gold and seemed to be almost as sure of a thing as death and taxes that he would be a star in the NFL. Did he peak as an elite college player? Did his skills/size not translate to the NFL? Was he just not able to comeback from the injury that allowed TJ Houshmazilly to ascend to super stardom? I hate to think that when football fans hear the name “Peter Warrick” that they automatically associate it with “Peter Wardrobe”. Maybe I’m just a delusional fan, but I think Warrick still has some gas in the tank and I believe he will surface in an NFL city once again.


Peace,



Jonathan " I was never shot" JR Reynolds