From Loved Ones to Pets to Future Careers, FSU’s Player’s Weekend Jerseys are Special

Allison Royalty’s parents have made the trip from her hometown of Corinth, Texas to Tallahassee to watch Florida State play many times this season. Although they won’t be in the stands this weekend when the fourth-ranked Seminoles host Virginia at JoAnne Graf Field, they will still be represented.

Florida State will be wearing its Player’s Weekend uniforms. The personalized jerseys give players the chance to reflect something that is meaningful to them.

Royalty’s No. 5 jersey will have “Hi Mom & Dad” written on the back in place of where her last name usually resides.

Royalty didn’t tell her parents about her choice because she wanted it to be a “cute surprise.” 

“Growing up, my parents were very supportive and did everything they could for me,” said Royalty, who is wearing a personalized jersey for the first time after transferring to FSU from Arizona State in the offseason. “Both my mom and dad helped me through the whole process of transferring and coming here. I don’t think I could have made that decision without them. They are definitely my backbone and it’s just an easy way to thank them by putting them on my back.”

This is the third season Florida State has held Player’s Weekend. From representing family members to nicknames to future careers and even pets, the jerseys give the players a way to express themselves more individually.

This year’s jerseys are white with gold accents and have “40” on the shoulder to signify the 40th team in program history.

Jahni Kerr (Nanny), Autumn Belviy (Vivian) and Madi Belk (Delphine) are representing their grandmothers. Michaela Edenfield (Roy) is representing her grandfather. 

Kathryn Sandercock (McLean) is giving a shout out to her hometown in Virginia, a location many loyal softball viewers know as the place where her father built the famous pitching shed.

Freshman Makenna Reid (Penny) is honoring her dog while Hallie Wacaser (For His Glory) and Kaley Mudge (Col 3:23) have religious tributes. Josie Muffley will have “TFD” for the Tallahassee Fire Department, where she’s spent time volunteering.

Graduate senior Mack Leonard decided to put “Juke Box Hero” on her back in honor of her late father, Kenneth, who died during her junior year of high school.

“I wanted something that reminded me of him and the music he loves to listen to,” Leonard said. “It was one of the songs I remember being in the car playing all the time when he and I were driving places.”

Leonard has a playlist of golden oldies filled with music from the 70s, 80s and 90s. She was listening to them on Thursday afternoon during batting practice as the Seminoles prepared for the Virginia series.

“They were songs my dad would listen to doing the Christmas lights, washing the car, doing house work or doing yard work,” Leonard said. “He would have this radio station playing from our hometown and that would be the common theme of the songs. That is the music vibe I’ve been going with lately.”

Leonard is thankful FSU allows the players a chance to be different and celebrate things that are special to them for one series each season.. 

“It’s just something we can do for fun and a nice gesture the program does for us,” Leonard said. “Frankie (Grizzle-Malgrat), our manager, is awesome and he gets all the jerseys ready for us and makes sure they look phenomenal. It’s just kind of nice we get to have a weekend where we play for ourselves and who we want to play for. We all really love it.”