The Spirit Drum is nationally acclaimed as one of the most prominent and longest-standing traditions

centered on Florida State University athletics.

 

In 1993, Burning Spear founders Ms. Liza Park, Mr. Benjamin Crump, and Mr. Brecht Heuchan created the only student-run Heisman Coalition in the country to promote Florida State University Football quarterback Charlie Ward as the deserving winner of the coveted trophy. To reignite the legacy of the Spirit Drum, they brought back the tradition of allowing university family and friends to participate in the campaign in a spirited way. That year, the Spirit Drum beat continuously for seventy-two hours before the Florida State University vs. Miami football game, creating the first official Drum Tour.

 

Burning Spear unveiled the third iteration of the Burning Spear Spirit Drum in 2024, after previous drums had been damaged and refurbished. The new drum was designed and built in partnership with the Florida State University Master Craftsman Studio. Sixteen generous alumni funded it, and plaques in their honor are on either side of the drum. The organization proudly owns this iconic symbol for the university  and has kept the tradition going for over thirty years. 

 

The old drum is being refurbished, then will be placed on permanent loan to the university and showcased in the Student Union so that the university can understand its storied history.