When Casey Roddick signed with the University of Colorado during the 2017 commitment process, he choose the best school he saw was the best fit for him for four years.

Six years later, when Roddick talked at his introductory press conference with Florida State, he sang a different tune on what he was looking for in his final collegiate season.

Roddick, a sixth-year graduate transfer offensive lineman, announced his pledge to FSU in the transfer portal in mid-December.

"Going into the process, I understood that, that there's going to be a lot of schools that are going to come out to you in terms of what they have, what they can offer and stuff like that," he said.

"But I understood that the biggest thing for me is to understand that this is my one opportunity to make the correct decision, my one opportunity to make the decision is going to impact not only my life years from now but a 40-year decision essentially as well. And so, coming into the portal I understood I kind of had a place where I wanted to go but then once Florida State came into the picture I was like that's where I need to go."

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Roddick, along with DL Darrell Jackson Jr., DB K.J. Kirkland, DL Lamont Green Jr., and TE Jaheim Bell were among the five newcomers introduced to the media on Thursday.

The Colorado transfer said he saw the Seminoles as the best fit for him following a visit to campus and also talking to head coach Mike Norvell and offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins.

He said he watched FSU from afar last season and appreciated what the team did. That combined with a previous knowledge of Norvell from Memphis played a role in his committing.

"I knew of him, but I didn't know him," Roddick said of Norvell. "When he got here, I was like, 'Wow, Florida State is going to be really something special in a couple of years.'

"And then right when I got into the portal, he was the first person to reach out to me and so that really struck something in my head."

The honesty from Atkins is something he appreciated.

"I think that the way in which he recruits is different. It's, it's real. It's understanding," Roddick said. "He knows what situation you're in, and he doesn't sell you on that, he sells you an opportunity and the challenge. ... So I took the challenge that he presented and I appreciate the way that he brought me to this university as well."

Roddick comes from a Colorado program that won just one game last season and has not posted a winning season since 2016, one year before Roddick arrived in Boulder, Colorado.

While the opportunity to join a Seminole team coming off its first 10-win season and is poised to be ranked in the top 10 to begin the 2023 season, Roddick isn't taking the opportunity lightly.

"Oh, it's amazing. It's awesome," he said. "But at the end of the day, there's still work to come with that. You got to put in the work to maintain that status, that status quo, essentially. So now I understand that I've personally had to put on a lot of work to get the respect and get to the same level as a lot of the players here so understand that and I understand what's in front of me as well. So I'm ready for that challenge, but to come to a place where the expectations are high. So as the work as well."

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Jahiem Bell had FSU in the top 3 out of high school

Maybe South Carolina transfer tight end Bell was always destined to play at Florida State.

Out of Valdosta High in Valdosta, Ga., Bell said he had the Seminoles high on his list before ultimately committing and signing with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

"They were in my top three coming out of high school," he said. "At the time, out of high school, it just wasn't the right time.

"Just going through the process, when I got in the portal, coach Norvell was one of the first guys who reached out to me. That kind of stuck with me. The conversation I had with him over the phone ... it was just a different conversation. Not this coach speak, it was a real talk."

Bell was a high school teammate with current FSU backup QB Tate Rodemaker. Bell said he and Rodemaker spoke, but his former teammate did not necessarily nudge him toward Tallahassee.

The return for quarterback Jordan Travis did play a factor in his decision.

"That was a very key piece for me, having a quarterback that's experienced," Bell said. "Because I know how it can be to play with a quarterback who lacks experience. With Jordan returning, it made me want to come here even more.

"Seeing this offense and seeing it being explosive, I caught a few games this season, I wanted to be a part of it."

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Lamont Green Jr. joins as legacy

Green's father was a linebacker at FSU from 1995-98 before playing in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers. He wore 45 during his time with FSU, something Green Jr. will have the opportunity to wear for FSU, just as he did in high school.

"I was very happy because it's a funny story," Green Jr. said. "I saw somebody else's pants on my locker and it said 82. So I had a little freakout, 'There's no way I'm wearing 82.'

"When I went saw my locker and saw the 45, the first thing I did was thought of my father and I shot him a picture of it. I posted about it.

"I was very happy because it's a legacy number and it means a lot to me."

Green Jr. has been locked into playing for his father's college for a while. So him joining the Seminoles, wearing 45 in garnet and gold is a long time coming.

"Pretty much my entire life I wanted to come here, but it was like when I started like really getting into the recruitment process like ninth grade," he said. "That's when I like really wanted to come to Florida State. I knew where I wanted to go."

The Miami Gulliver Prep defensive end committed to the Seminoles in February of 2019.

While Green said he is prepared for the possibility he won't be able to make an impact as a freshman, he said he's going to try to learn as much as possible from players ahead of him, including Jared Verse and Patrick Payton.

"As soon as we start, I'm going to be paying attention to them a lot," he said. "I am probably following them around trying to see whatever they can do that I can add to my own games game. I am going to try to learn from them a lot.

"Anything that can help me out I'm trying to get from them because they're like, pretty much the best in the country right now."

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K.J. Kirkland

Kirkland, who was listed as the 49th safety in the 2022 recruiting class by 247Sports Composite rankings, is likely to begin his career at another position.

"Just coming in, I think I'll start off as a corner," Kirkland said. "The coaches just talking to me told me my ability to be long and physical at the point of attack, just being able to run and put my body against someone else, I feel like that's a great attribute coming into the Seminoles' defense."

Kirkland said he's looking forward to the opportunity to be coached by former All-Pro NFL cornerback Patrick Surtain.

"I haven't gotten a chance to actually sit down and have a little face-to-face conversation with him but we have spoken," Kirkland said. "We were actually supposed to be getting with each other either today or tomorrow and just talk about everything and talk about how he sees me and scheme."

Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football: Casey Roddick, Jahiem Bell, Lamont Green Jr. and K.J. Kirkland talk FSU