With sweat slowing starting to dry on his undershirt, just minutes after a grueling South Florida practice, Dalvin Cook set the record straight.
Unlike notable running backs like LSU's Leonard Fournette and Stanford's Christian McCaffrey, who are sitting out the final games of their college football seasons and college careers, Cook said he will play in Florida State's Orange Bowl matchup against Michigan on Friday.
Cook, a junior from Miami, could likely be selected in the first round of April's NFL draft. He has yet to make an official announcement on his future.
"Don't you see me right now? I'm going to play," Cook said after FSU's session on the soccer fields at Nova Southeastern University on Monday afternoon.
"Those guys were hurt. They were banged up They had to take time off and get rested. I respect what they did. Everybody has their own opinion. Everybody has their own choice.
"When the whistle blows, I'll be out there."
The Orange Bowl could also mark the final game of Cook's college career, where he has become Florida State's career leader in rushing yards and touchdowns in three seasons.
A bowl victory, FSU's first since the 2013 national championship, would also be an ideal ending for all Seminoles involved.
Marquez White, one of nine seniors on the team, hopes to "make memories on the field with my teammates" as FSU (9-3) aims to win its 10th game for the fifth straight season.
"Ten wins will mean a lot," White said. "Just all the adversity we battled this season, and people counting us out. A lot of people didn't think we'd be here, but only we did.
"It shows the heart, passion and love that everybody has."
FSU held the second of four practices ahead of the season finale, a strategy Jimbo Fisher wanted to explore to keep the team engaged after arriving in town on Christmas Eve Saturday.
"After you come off the holiday, sometimes you have to get refocused," Fisher said. "But the effort and the mindset has been good."
The Seminoles enjoyed Christmas dinner, a chapel session, and visited Hard Rock Stadium for a team photo after their first practice Sunday. Several players on the team posted photos on social media with teammates while checking out a familiar playing ground.
"Being in that stadium gave us all of us chills, and we're ready to play," said Cook, who has led FSU to two road victories over the Miami Hurricanes during his career. "We enjoyed the moment, and we're seizing it all."
