Collegiate athletes move in a different space and life compared to regular students. Some athletes can be shy in front of the camera when answering questions at a press conference. Two athletes on the Florida State football team have shown no shyness when it comes to answering questions from the media.

Those two are offensive linemen Andre Otto and punter Daniel Hughes. A New Mexico transfer, Hughes has made himself known to all Seminole fans since he arrived in Tallahassee and has gained a significant social media following. Otto has been at FSU the past four years and has also gained a sizable social media following. In the modern era of media, these two have shown the world just how media savvy they are and they are giving Seminole fans a glimpse into their lives to show they are more than just college football players.

“The way I started it was, I wanted to express myself and show some of my creative talents,” Otto said. “I applied to the film school and that was just something that I like to show up and try to do. I got deferred from the film school. They said that I can’t do both right now, I have to focus on one or the other and I respect that. I’m a football player. I’m here to go to the NFL, I’m here to become the best football player I can and I am a student at the same time so that’s why I’m starting a social media and doing things like that.”

Otto has shown the FSU community that he is very much a talented and committed film maker in the social media realm. Otto has gained quite the following with 23,400 followers on Instagram, 5,159 TikTok followers and 234 subscribers on YouTube. His content ranges from fishing trips, workouts, day-in-the-life vlogs and cooking videos. Otto and Hughes have also collaborated on some content together.

Florida State fans are used to big personalities when it comes to their favorite athletes. When they got a look at punter Daniel Hughes after he arrived in Tallahassee, he was something different. The blonde haired, tattooed, mustachioed Australian has an accent that is thick of his native country and his personality is one of a kind. Hughes has amassed 50,600 followers on Instagram, 26,300 followers on TikTok and 2,150 subscribers on YouTube. Hughes' sense of humor and overall vibe has resonated with Seminole fans across the country and world for that matter due to his heavy social media presence. The 28-year-old Hughes is not a conventional college athlete — and that makes him stand out, along with the mustache and tattoos.

“He’s a lot," special teams coach Adam Scheier said. “He is as serious about punting as he is about promoting Florida State football for social media. Anything that he does, whether it's showing his personality, humor or whatever it is, sheds a positive light on this program. He brings energy, brings excitement and he’s as talented as a punter as he is making TikToks and Instagram videos. So I love being around him and I’m excited for what he can bring to our team and help us dominate that hidden yardage battle every game."

Hughes has appeared on numerous podcasts to tell his story and journey to Tallahassee and he is hard to forget once you glance through his social media pages. Hughes has done videos where he tours the football facility and has made vlogs about his life as a Division I athlete in Tallahassee. He has promoted local businesses in his videos and even got to film himself making a sandwich at popular Tallahassee restaurant Metro Deli in the downtown area. Social media is an outlet for people across the world to connect and Hughes takes full advantage of it.

“It’s a good way to express myself,” Hughes said. “Being a punter, you don’t really get too much attention on and off the field, so it’s a good way to let people into my life and a DI lifestyle as well.”

Fans will finally get a glimpse of what this year's football team has to offer this Saturday at 7 p.m. when they welcome New Mexico State to Doak Campbell Stadium.

Some players on football rosters like quarterback, running back and receiver are the most popular and well known amongst fans. Otto and Hughes have broken the mold and have shown the world that offensive linemen and specialists have just as much personality and humor. Hughes' and Otto’s social media savviness has helped get through to tens of thousands of followers with millions of views across the platforms.

Whether Hughes booms a punt or Otto pancakes a defensive lineman this year, fans will feel the connection to both in a way that has not been seen before. The connection through social media has shed a positive light on not just the program, but for Otto and Hughes as human beings.

Football players aren’t just robots who only do things on the field on Saturdays in the fall, they are people with real personalities that enjoy connecting with fans and supporters.

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