Lee Corso, known to many as the veteran broadcaster who became a defining voice of college football, was awarded the Governor’s Medal of Freedom Oct. 4 by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Governor’s Medal of Freedom is one of Florida’s highest civilian honors, and is awarded to individuals who have made notable contributions to the state, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
The 90-year-old Corso grew up in Miami, where he attended Miami Jackson Senior High School before enrolling at Florida State University in 1953.
He played college football and baseball at FSU, later coaching at several universities before becoming a longtime college football analyst on ESPN’s “College GameDay.” He retired from ESPN just this year.
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Corso received the honor in a ceremony in front of the Florida Governor’s Mansion hours before the Seminoles were to take on the Miami Hurricanes at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.
“For decades, Lee has been an essential part of the college football experience,” DeSantis said in a statement. “From his time as the ‘Sunshine Scooter’ at Florida State, to his coaching career, to his iconic headgear picks, Lee has been a fixture of college football. He has devoted his life to the game he loves, and he has made all Floridians proud.”
During his four years with the Seminoles, he played on both offense and defense, leading the team in interceptions, rushing, and passing in separate seasons. He was named All-America honorable mention in 1956.
“He visited Florida State University with College GameDay 11 times and made 19 FSU headgear picks out of 28 games involving Florida State,” the release said.
Corso joins the late, legendary FSU football coach Bobby Bowden as a recipient of the medal; Bowden, the first person to ever be awarded one, received his in 2021.
From 2021: Gov. DeSantis awards retired FSU football coach Bobby Bowden with Governor’s Medal of Freedom
The Governor’s Medal of Freedom was established in 2020 through a state law. It recognizes those who have “made an especially meritorious contribution to the interests and citizens of the state, its culture, or other significant public or private endeavor.”
Other recipients of the Governor’s Medal of Freedom include the late FSU president John Thrasher, who was awarded the medal posthumously in August.
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Jim Rosica can be reached at jrosica@tallahassee.com and follow him on Twitter/X: @JimRosicaFL.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU legend Lee Corso honored by Gov. Ron DeSantis
