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By Cameron Kiszla
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The Florida State Seminoles are honoring an all-time great with a jersey retirement.
Sebastian Janikowski's No. 38 jersey will be retired during the Seminoles' season opener against the New Mexico State Aggies on Aug. 29, reports JD McCarthy of FSU Wire.
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The kicker, who hails from Poland, was an integral part of the Seminoles' 1999 national championship squad.
He won two Lou Groza Awards, given to the best college kicker, and was all conference in each of his three seasons in Tallahassee.
He also was named an All-American twice, and was named to the Associated Press's All-Time All-America team in 2025.
Janikowski also was the last kicker who was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, when the then-Oakland Raiders took him 17th overall.
He spent all but one of his 18 NFL seasons with the Raiders. The last, 2018, he played for the Seattle Seahawks.
In 2011, he was named a Pro Bowler and was second-team All-Pro.
In his time with the Raiders, he also was known for his hard-partying ways, as Sam Borden detailed for ESPN in 2020.
"He played 17 years for Oakland but made just one Pro Bowl," Borden wrote. "He was never a first-team All-Pro but was the league's most powerful kicker for years. He never led the league in make percentage, but according to Football Reference, he delivered more career value to the team that selected him than all but 10 other players picked in that 2000 first round.
"He also -- and this is no small thing -- became an absolute Raiders icon, a beloved figure for the NFL's most gloriously eccentric fan base as it endured year after year after year of mediocre football. The coaches (and most of the players) cycled through as the losing continued unabated, so what else could the fans do but root for the burly, brash kicker who was there through it all and became known for both the 70-yard blasts he routinely kicked during warm-ups and the extended evenings out that he enjoyed at local taverns?"
Now, he can add this FSU honor to his list of accomplishments, joining some truly legendary football names in the process.
"Janikowski is the 13th Seminole to have his jersey or number retired, joining Deion Sanders (2), Jameis Winston (5), Peter Warrick (9), Derrick Brooks (10), Chris Weinke (16), Charlie Ward (17), Fred Biletnikoff (25), Terrell Buckley (27), Warrick Dunn (28), Ron Sellers (34), Ron Simmons (50) and Marvin Jones (55)," the school said in a news release.
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