The Florida State University Gymnastics Dynasty · Part 2
When the Seminole Tribe of Florida agreed to allow Florida State University (FSU) to continue the use of “Seminole” as their mascot name, it was not a whimsical decision. Bill Durham, a Tallahassee businessman of Cherokee bloodline, has gone to great lengths to create a heritage that FSU and the Seminoles could be proud of. Durham visited with the Seminoles and Chief Howard Tommie. The result was to design and produce an authentic Osceola dress uniform to be worn by a student portraying the great Seminole Chief Osceola. Osceola had triggered the Second Seminole War in Florida when he killed the military Indian agent at Fort King and then wiped-out Major Francis Langhorne Dade’s one hundred-and ten-men military force marching from Fort Brooke (Tampa) to Ft. King (Ocala) on December 28, 1835. The Indian agent had pointed out Osceola’s wife Morning Dew who was part Negro to the United States military. The US military seized Morning Dew. This act of seizure infuriated Osceola and he swore revenge.
The FSU student portraying Osceola rides an Appaloosa horse named Renegade to the center of the football field thrusting a flaming spear into the ground prior to the start of each home football game. This ritual has been carried out for many years since September 16th, 1978, when Head Football Coach Bobby Bowden sanctioned Durham’s idea. Bowden was engaged in a duel with Penn State’s Coach Joe Paterno for the most game wins among “active coaches” in the NCAA program.
Male students applying for the riding mascot position must have previous horseback riding skills and must have a 3.0 grade point average to be selected as the one who will carry out the FSU/Seminole tradition. Students selected to act as Osceola are taught to ride bareback while carrying a heavy flaming spear, a feat that requires a specific form of athleticism. Additional students, both male and female, who meet the same 3.0 grade point average requirement along with four doctors of veterinary medicine, take care of several Appaloosa horses for life. The horses have to be fed, sheltered and administered health care on a regular basis. The horses need to be safely transported to and from home games and even to some away games. This is, indeed, quite an endeavor.
Years earlier in the fifties, FSU gymnasts who could tumble were asked to tumble and lead the football team onto the field at the beginning of football games. Football coach Tom Nugent first asked Dick Gutting (see Part 1: Dick Gutting, FSU’s First Seminole Tumbler) to perform the feat after Gutting had approached Nugent with his idea. When Dick graduated, Chick Cicio, a Brooklyn native who had started college late after a stint in the Navy took over the tumbling duties. Cicio had served on the USS Intrepid CV-11 aircraft carrier. Chick always had to pull an Indian band up over his nicely shaped biceps to cover his Navy anchor tattoo when he dressed for his tumbling gig. The media began to call Chick “Sammie Seminole”. The name stuck. Chick remembers a couple of band members being called Sammie. Then “Sammie” became the name of whoever was the current FSU tumbling mascot.
The role wasn’t difficult for Chick. He was theatrical by nature and by his previous training. He won the 1956 National Amateur Athletic Union floor exercise championship. His trademark skill was the “continental handstand” which he would perform in his floor exercise routine.
In New York at Boy’s High School, Chick participated in five different sports: football, baseball, track & field, swimming & diving and “Leadership Team”. He took voice lessons with the beautiful Signora Inez Giglio who taught the “Bell-canto system” of singing. Professionally, as a vocalist, Chick performed with the Russ Hart Orchestra, the Five Shades of Blue, Café Society, the Paul Bryant Orchestra, and the Michael Jay Orchestra.
Chick feels that gymnastics and music led him from a life as a factory worker to become a professional educator. He earned his bachelor’s degree from FSU and his master’s degree from Western Carolina University. Cicio taught thirty-nine years in Miami Dade high schools including North Miami Senior High School, Miami Springs Senior High School, and American Senior High School.
Chick retired and resided in Weston, Florida with Jennie, his wife of over fifty years. The Cicio’s had a son Bob, who did gymnastics, and a daughter Christine, who excelled academically and in dance. Chick performed on a regular basis at the Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts in musical presentations.
When I was coaching at Miami Dade College, I would call Chick to come over and watch my team in gymnastics dual meets. Upon his arrival, I would ask Chick if he would sing the National Anthem rather than play our taped rendition. Chick would announce that his throat was a little sore at the same time he was reaching in his back pocket for his ever-ready pitch tuner. He would then proceed to sing the Star-Spangled Banner perfectly without accompaniment to all the spectators’ delight!
Chick loved gymnastics. He would come over to the college in a tie and coat on his way to meetings for academic counseling training. Within minutes in the gym he would shed his coat and be up on the horizontal bar performing skills for my team. He would forget about the time, and I would have to say; “ Hey Chick, what time does that meeting start?” He would try to dry his sweat, get his coat, and rush out.
Chick was the head gymnastics coach for the North Miami Pioneers, and I was lucky enough to get several of his best gymnasts at the College: Don Hoecherl, 1969 NJCAA silver medalist on the pommel horse, Steve Albert, 1969 NJCAA Ring Champion, Larry Konefsky, ring man, and brothers Dale and David Smith. Chick not only developed his athletes’ gymnastics, he taught them to be men! He continued his coaching for the Miami Springs Cavaliers, and again, I inherited several of his best athletes. He ended his career at American High School as a night counselor. In addition, he operated a private gymnastic school for several years with Pete Sapanaro, one of Chick’s former gymnasts and a Penn State 1965 NCAA team champion member.
After Cicio graduated from FSU, the Sammie Seminole tradition continued at FSU. Chick was followed by Jack Ryder, the 1961 NCAA tumbling Champion. Joe Greene a transfer student from Dade County Junior College who excelled in trampoline work was the 1962 Sammie Seminole. Rick Miller, the talented all-around gymnast from California followed Joe Greene in 1963. Rick was followed by Bob Gramling in 1964 and 1965. Barry Rowars was the last Sammie Seminole in 1966.
Chick Cicio is a member of the FSU Hall of Fame along with gymnasts Dick Gutting, Don Holder, Jack Miles, Jamile Ashmore and Bill Roetzheim and Dr. Hartley Price (Coach).
By Bruce Davis, Professor Emeritus, Miami Dade College. © 2014, revised 2026.
The FSU Gymnastics Dynasty