Former Florida State All-American kicker Sebastian Janikowski will have his No. 38 jersey retired during the Seminoles’ 2026 season opener on August 29 vs. New Mexico State, it was announced Wednesday. Janikowski remains the only two-time winner of the Lou Groza Award, presented annually to the nation’s best kicker.
 
Janikowski, a native of Poland who moved to Florida before 10th grade, was Florida State’s starting kicker from 1997-99, helping lead FSU to a perfect 12-0 season and the second national championship in program history in his final season. The left-footed kicker was selected 17th overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2000 NFL Draft and remains the last kicker drafted in the first round.
 
Janikowski earned Freshman All-America honors in 1997 after a campaign that included a then-school-record 56-yard field goal against Wake Forest. As a sophomore, Janikowski broke Florida State and ACC single-season records with 27 made field goals and 123 points scored while also leading the NCAA by making 84.4 percent of his field goal attempts. His final year featured a perfect 47-for-47 on PATs and an NCAA-best 23 made field goals to lead the ACC with 116 points.
 
For his FSU career, Janikowski made 66 of 83 field goals and 126 point-after tries. He left Florida State holding the program record for career field goal percentage, was second with five 50-yard field goals and third in program history with 324 points and 66 made field goals. He was named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Team in 2002, inducted into the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013 and is on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame.
 
One of five kickers ever selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, Janikowski spent the first 17 years of his career with the Raiders and is the team’s all-time leader with 414 made field goals – including a 63-yarder in 2011 that tied an NFL record – 605 made PATs and 1,913 points. He retired in 2018 after one season with the Seattle Seahawks.
 
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).